


lavender dreams

by larrystylinsonkink



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bottom Louis, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Jealous Harry, Jealous Louis, Jealousy, M/M, Protective Harry, Protectiveness, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sexual Content, Smut, Student Harry, Student Louis, Top Harry, but it's mild i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-08-01 17:51:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 71,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16289093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larrystylinsonkink/pseuds/larrystylinsonkink
Summary: "My alarm never went off and I slept in. I fell into a recycling bin.""How am I not surprised?""This tall man helped me out. I didn't really get to look at him for long but from what I saw, he was good looking."ORLouis is an outgoing person that goes to school for educational psychology and Harry is a biology major who happen to run into each other... a lot.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made.

Louis is late. He's late and he's sweaty. Why does he sweat so much? He races through the hall and turns swiftly, almost knocking into a poorly placed trash can. Hopefully his professor didn't start the lecture yet cause he can't afford to miss any notes even though it's only the second week. He looks down at his watch to check the time and curses under his breath. Crap, he's ten minutes late. Well, at least he managed to get his poptarts from the vending machine.

"Hey watch out—"

Louis hears a voice from behind him but can't think too much of it before he's busting into a wall. He bounces off the edge and holds in his wince as he stumbles, falling backwards into a recycling bin. "Fuck." He groans at the feeling of plastic water bottle digging into his side. He scrunches his nose and pushes up on his elbows in a poor attempt to get out of the bin.

Suddenly, a figure appears in front of him. Louis looks up at the tall man standing before him who looks as if he's ready to take a shit from how hard he's trying not to laugh. "Dude, are you okay?" The stranger asks while holding a hand out to Louis. He grasps the hand and tries to ignore how soft it is as the man pulls him out of the bin. Louis brushes himself off and nods his head a few times, rubbing his side where the bottle was pressed against.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the help." Louis tells him before looking down at his watch. His eyes grow at the time displayed on the small screen and he releases a loud squeak. He adjusts his bag and ignores the guy staring at him before taking off down the hall. He's so fucking late. The man blinks and watches him rush off, eyebrows raising in interest. What a weird kid.

 

***

 

"Why were you so late?" Liam questions while placing the small container of fries in front of Louis who was banging his head on the table in frustration. People around him were giving him weird looks but he could care less about what they thought.

"My alarm never went off and I slept in." He groans while tilting his head up, accepting the fry that is offered to him by his friend. He chews slowly and leans back into his chair, stretching his arms out above his head. "I fell into a recycling bin." He adds on which makes Liam let out a snort.

"How am I not surprised?"

"This tall man helped me out. I didn't really get to look at him for long but from what I saw, he was good looking." Louis takes another fry and bites off one end as Liam gives him a pointed look.

"It's not good to talk to strangers, Lou."

"Yes dad, I know." Louis shoots back as he pushes two more fries into his mouth. "Plus, I'm not a kid. I wasn't going to follow him to his white van for free ice cream. He just helped me out of the recycling bin and I left."

"Chew your food before you talk."

"Jeez, you're like my mother but worse." Louis mumbles while shoving more fries into his mouth, chewing with his mouth closed. He swallows before deciding to continue what he was saying, "But he was really, really tall Liam. Like... he has to be at least 6'4." His friend frowns as he tries to think about who could be that tall in this school.

Winmore University was a prestige college that had less than 6,000 students due to their high standards. Liam has been here for three years now and he's met almost everyone due to his status as an NSOL, new student orientation leader. And thanks to his photographic memory, he's able to remember people that stick out to him. If Louis is right about this mystery guy being extremely tall then Liam definitely would remember him.

"Describe him as best as you can."

"Uhm..." Louis scrunched his nose as he tries to remember anymore details about the tall lad. "Oh! He has a really deep and raspy voice that's kind of a slow drawl when he speaks. And he has curly hair! Yep, I remember that clearly because it was down to his shoulders."

Liam's eyes brighten as he sits up in his seat, snapping his fingers. "Did he have green eyes and dimples?" He asks which makes Louis tilt his head, closing his eyes to try to picture the guy in his head again.

"Yes! He did." Louis nods his head in confirmation and eats the rest of his fries, picking at the leftover salt in the container. Liam slaps his hand and takes the container away, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Stop doing that, you know I hate when you pick at the salt, it gets stuck under your nails and gets all over the couch and blankets." Liam scolds him as he gives Louis the nuggets he was holding until he was done with the fries. He can only eat one thing at time or he'll get too overwhelmed about what to eat and when to eat it.

"And that mystery guy is Harry Styles. He's a biology major and he's a year below us. He just transferred in this year from a community college that has that dual admissions plan." Liam explains before taking a big bite of his burger, chewing his food as he watched Louis peel the breaded skin off the nugget.

"He's really cute." Louis murmurs as he stares at the nugget intently, needing to take off every piece of the skin because he likes to eat them separately. Liam hums and shakes his head, finishing his food before he replies.

"Sorry Lou, he's straight. At orientation I remember him talking about his girlfriend to Niall."

Louis pouts and crosses his arms in defeat, a half eaten nugget hanging from his fingertips. "Really? So unfair! All the cute ones are straight." He whines before resuming his task of peeling his nuggets, chewing on the other half of the one he had started to eat.

"I beg to differ."

"Okay Liam, we get it, you got a hot boyfriend." Louis says mockingly, referring to the brunette goddess that is Niall Horan. They've been dating since their second year of high school and are still as sappy as when they first got together almost 4 years ago. It's both heartwarming and sickening at the same time but Louis is happy for them.

"I'm just saying, there are a couple good options here if you would just be open to the idea of them." Liam says while holding his hands up in surrender. He finished his burger a few seconds ago and was waiting for Louis to eat all the breaded skin he collected.

"What? You're talking about someone like Nick Grimshaw? He's cool but definitely not my type. And I don't want to date Collin, he's a player." Louis complains while turning his nose up in disgust, a shiver running through his body at the mention of the man-whore that is Collin Rodgers.

"Nick is a great option, I think you should give him a chance. Maybe even Ed, he's super nice too. I don't want you with Collin either which is why I didn't specifically mention him."

"You didn't specifically mention anyone."

Liam rolls his eyes and kicks Louis under the table who winces, moving a hand down to rub at his shin. "As I was saying, you should just give someone a chance. Who knows what will happen? Maybe you'll find your soulmate." He encourages with a smile as Louis frowns, picking at the skin around his fingernail.

"Yeah maybe, I'll think about it." He mumbles which makes Liam smile wider. "Awesome! That's all I wanted to hear. Now, let's go because Niall is waiting for us to pick him up from his calculus class."

 

***

 

Harry was sitting in his Chemistry class with his gaze focused out the window. In his line of vision he could see the boy's soccer team getting ready for practice. They were in the middle of doing their stretches, some men having already started their jogs. But what caught his eye was the small male stretching a few feet away from everyone else, the word Captain embroidered on his sweatshirt.

It was the weird kid from earlier that fell into the recycling bin and Harry was surprised to find out someone like that was the captain of the soccer team. It's not that he couldn't be because obviously, he is. It's more about how someone as clumsy as him could be captain that has Harry stirring in his own curiosity.

The small man jumped up and down a few times before another person who Harry recognized as Niall, his NSOL from orientation, appeared on the field. Niall walked up to the mystery guy and they hugged briefly before starting to talk. Harry watched as the smaller of the two men threw his head back when he laughed, his chestnut hair flowing in the wind. "Who is this kid?" He murmurs to himself.

"What was that, Mr. Styles?" Professor Ronalds ask as he looks up from the textbook he was reading off, glasses perched on his nose. Harry's eyes flicker to his professor before he scans the room only to see everyone's gaze on him.

"Uh, Sorry. I was thinking out loud. Won't happen again."

"Very well. Everyone, please turn to page 25. We're going to read the instructions on how we'll be doing the frog dissection today." Harry turns the pages in his textbook to the right one before he allowed his eyes to return back to the guy. He'll find out who he is sooner or later.

 

***

 

"Alright lads, pack up! It's 5:00pm and the girls need the field. Great job today." Louis calls out to his team as he wipes some sweat off his forehead. Niall was laying on the grass, face red and drenched in sweat. If Louis wasn't so tired himself, he would be laughing at him. Coach has been on their asses because he wants them to be prepared for the championships this year since they lost last year to Kingsman University.

He had them vigorously training over the summer and as soon as school started, he's had a practice scheduled everyday of the week from 1pm-5pm. And because Louis is Captain, the responsibility is also on his shoulders to make sure this team is whipped into shape for the big game.

"Ready to go, Lou?" Niall's voice snaps him out of his thoughts and Louis blinks before focusing on the brunette. "Yeah, let's go. I have a lot of homework to do." He replies and follows Niall off the field as they walk towards the locker rooms.

"Liam told me that you fell into the recycling bin this morning."

"Yeah, I was in a rush because I was late and then I ran into the wall—don't even ask how that happened. Then this tall guy helped me out and I went to class."

"Harry."

"Pardon?" Louis unlocks his locker and pulls the door open, grabbing his bag. Niall unlocks his own locker and grabs his things while giving Louis a side glance.

"Harry. The tall guy that helped you out was Harry."

"Oh yeah." Louis hums and closes his locker, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Yeah he's cute, I remember now."

"And straight." Niall points out.

Louis frowns. "Fuck." He whines and presses his forehead to the red lockers. "Liam and I had this exact conversation, how could I have already forgotten?" Niall chuckles and shakes his head before closing his locker. He claps a hand on Louis' back before walking past him towards the doors.

"You're tired, mate. Go to your dorm and sleep it off, we got an early day tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right. See you tomorrow!" Louis calls out to Niall's disappearing figure as he pulls his hood over his head. He yawns into the silent room, hearing a slight echo as tears prick the corner of his eyes. "Damn, I'm tired." He murmurs to himself before taking off, walking out of the locker rooms. His dorm building is only a ten minute walk from where he is and Louis is itching to go to sleep.

"See you around, Louis!" Andrew, his teammate, shouts from a few feet away from him. Louis smiles and waves his hand a few times to let him know he heard him before turning to walk off the field.

Before he knows it, Louis is in front of his building and is yawning into his arm. He sniffles and shakes his head, his hands patting his pockets for his student ID. He huffs and turns his pants pockets inside out before pulling his bag off his shoulder. He unzips it and looks in the small pouch for his ID but doesn't see it. "What the fuck?" He mumbles while digging in the other parts of his bag, his ID nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, Louis lets out a groan as he remembers he forgot to grab it from his desk this morning. He was in such a rush that he forgot all about it and now he's locked out of his dorm. With a sigh, he slides down the wall and sits by the door, his head tilted back. Someone should pass by sooner or later.

 

***

 

Louis was so wrong. It's been two hours and no one has passed by his dorm and he's freezing to death. It seems like it dropped ten degrees since Louis first got here and he's shivering so much he can hear his bones clinking together. He tried ringing the bell but there was no answer and Louis isn't surprised because it's a Friday and most people are out right now.

He coughs into his knees, his legs tucked into his chest for warmth. Realistically, he could call Niall or Liam who also live in the building but he knows they're on a date right now and it's the first one they've been on in almost a month so no, Louis will not call them. He'll just wait a couple more minutes and if no one comes by then he'll sneak into the—

"Hey, it's you! The weird clumsy one from this morning."

Louis hears a voice and looks up to see Harry, the guy who helped him this morning, standing a few feet away from him. Louis turns his nose up at Harry's statement and huffs, crossing his arms. "I am not clumsy. I was just distracted." He retorts while trying to stop his chattering teeth.

Harry grins and Louis is momentarily stunned by the sight of it. "Right, sure if you say so. Anyway, why are you just sitting out here in the cold? Are you waiting for someone?" He asks while walking closer to the bundled up figure, crouching in front of him. Louis sniffles and rubs at his eyes, cringing at the cold touch of his own skin.

"I forgot my student ID and no one answered when I rang the bell because it's Friday and everybody is out for the weekend and my two friends who live in this building aren't here because they're on a date and you're the first person to walk by in almost two hours and I'm really cold so could you please just swipe me in?" Louis quickly rushes out in one breath as he feels his fingers going numb from the cold.

Harry raises his brows and cocks his head to the side, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "How can I know you if you actually live here, hm? You could be a mass murderer wanting to gain access into the building. And if I were to let you in then I could be charged as an accomplice."

Louis whines and stomps his feet which, yes, he knows is childish but he's really fucking cold and just wants to sleep. "I promise I live here, you giraffe! I've been in these dorms since my freshman year, I'm not going to kill anyone now please, swipe me in."

Harry chuckles and stands up, holding his hands out to the shivering lad. "Alright, alright. I'll let you in, I don't want you to die of pneumonia." Louis sneezes into his elbow twice and blinks away some tears before he looks up at Harry's hand. He stares at them for awhile before he eventually grabs them, allowing the taller male to pull him up into a standing position.

"Damn, you're freezing." Harry hisses as he rubs his thumbs over Louis' hands that almost feel like icicles. The smaller man pouts as he stares up at Harry, his eyes soft and glazed over from exhaustion.

"I told you I was cold! I've been out here for two hours." He complains while shifting his gaze to their connected hands where Harry was still rubbing them. The younger male snaps out of whatever daze he was in and drops Louis' hands, clearing his throat.

"Okay, let's get you inside." Harry mumbles while skirting around Louis to get to the door. He takes his ID out of his wallet and slides it through the card reader, hearing the click of the door unlock. He grabs the handle and pulls the door open, stepping aside to allow Louis to walk in first. "After you, kind sir."

Louis giggles and steps inside, walking past Harry to the other set of doors. He pulls them open and walks through, holding it open long enough for Harry to pass through. "Thank you for letting me in." Louis tells him as they walk through the empty hall to the elevators.

"No problem. Even if you didn't live in the dorm, I would probably let you in because it's freezing out. I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did out there." Harry presses the up arrow and they both wait patiently for the doors to open.

"It was fine for awhile because I was just coming from practice and my body was overheated. But then after the first forty-five minutes, I was slowly dying of frostbite." Harry laughs, his head tilting back a bit. Louis watches him in interest, enjoying the way his adams apple moves.

"Well, I'm glad I got there when I did then or you would have been an ice cube." He jokes as they step inside the elevator. "What floor?" He adds on while pressing four for his own floor.

"I know, you would have had to pick through a block of ice in order to get to me and the third floor, please."

Harry presses the three button and they both watch as the doors close. "So are you a junior or a senior?" Harry asks while picking at a sticker from a coupon book that got stuck on his wallet. Louis smiles at him briefly before turning his attention to the numbers slowly going up.

"Junior. My third year here and nothing's really changed."

"I'm a sophomore. Just transferred from a community college."

Louis bites back the urge to say 'I know' and instead smiles at him again. "That's really cool, I think you'll like it here. Winmore is a great university and no other school can really compare to it." The bell dings and the doors open up to Louis' floor. "Oh this is my floor so I guess this is where I say goodbye. It was really nice meeting you, my name is Louis by the way."

Louis steps out of the elevator and turns to face Harry, giving him a small wave as the man grins back at him. "Nice to meet you Louis. My name is Harry!" He calls out as the doors start to slowly close. "Oh, I know who you are, Harry Styles." Louis replies slyly with a wink, loving the mixture of surprise and confusion that takes over Harry's face just as the doors close.

He giggles to himself and turns around, skipping down the hall to his dorm room. Even though Louis knows Harry is straight, just talking to the kid makes him feel all giddy. He hopes this doesn't develop into a stupid crush, Louis has a bad habit of liking guys who never like him back. Maybe this time it'll be different and they can be just friends. 


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made.

****Louis was screwed. He doesn't understand why he keeps getting himself into these situations, he swears it's like the universe is against him. He tries his best to be a good person. Yes, he occasionally swipes a packet of pop tarts from the teachers lounge but honestly, who was going to eat it if not him? He honestly doesn't think he deserves to be punished so cruelly for something as small as one s'mores pop tarts.

He has his effective speech class today with a new professor that postponed class until today due to family issues. Because of this delay, Louis never actually went into the lecture room listed on his schedule and if he did, he would have realized that it was changed over the summer and his effective speech class is now in another room. But the problem here is that he has no idea where that other room is because the fucking professor never messaged the class.

Another issue that arose is that Louis also seems to be the only person in the entire class to get the room wrong because he is the only one standing in the empty classroom freaking out. "Okay, Louis. It's okay you'll figure this out one step at a time." He whispers to himself while pacing back and forth across the front of the room. "Okay, we'll just go to the welcome center and have them call it in so I can find the right room, that's all."

"It's not good to talk to yourself, you know. People might start to think that you're crazy."

Louis whips around when he hears a familiar voice and sees Harry standing in the doorway of the classroom with a smirk plastered on his beautiful face. Louis clears his throat and shuffles from foot to foot as he blushes in embarrassment. "Who's to say I'm not crazy though?" He manages to get out while trying to calm his nerves. Harry grins and steps further into the room.

"Touché."

"Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you stalking me now, Styles?"

Harry laughs and rolls his eyes. "First of all it's not fair that you know my last name yet I don't know yours, don't you think? And secondly, I'm here for my effective speech class but ended up finding a psychopath talking to himself instead." Louis huffs and crosses his arms, giving Harry a dark look.

"Tomlinson. My last name is Tomlinson and I'm not a psychopath, thank you very much. I was thinking out loud because as you can see we got the room wrong for our lecture hence the reason no one else is here right now."

"So let's go to the welcome center and have them call it in."

"That's what I was going to—ugh, nevermind." Louis grumbles as he stomps past a smug Harry who turns to follow him. They walk in silence for a few seconds as they make their way to the stairs. "Why so grumpy today, clumsy?" Harry asks after a moment as they descend the stairs.

"Don't call me that, I'm not a damn smurf and I'm not clumsy. I was just distracted that day."

"Okay blue. I won't call you that." Harry's grin widens at Louis' glare and he nudges the smaller man with his shoulder. "Hey, what's up? The last two times I saw you I don't think I could get you to even shut up. Now you're angry and only speak to tell me off."

"Why do you care? We're not even friends. I barely know you."

"We're not friends? I think you should reconsider that especially since fate seems to keep putting us together. Seeing each other three times in under a week is a sign right?" Louis rolls his eyes and turns the corner, pushing the doors open.

"Don't you have a girlfriend? Why don't you go bother her?"

Harry raises his brows. "See you know I have a girlfriend and you knew my last name yet you say you don't know me well enough to call me your friend." Harry hums and rubs his chin a few times as he pulls a thinking face. "I think some things are just not adding up, don't you think blue?"

Louis groans and shakes his head, ignoring Harry as he walks into the welcome center after swiping his ID card. Louis woke up on the wrong side of the bed due to the beginnings of a cold from staying outside for so long two days ago. He feels like shit and he's annoyed because he feels like shit and he's annoyed that he's annoyed.

He's just a mess right now and the fact that Harry looks so good when he smiles at Louis makes things even worse because he's straight. "Good morning Lou, how can I help you?" Nick greets Louis from behind the desk, looking up from the book he was highlighting.

"Hey Nicky, I'm supposed to be in my effective speech class right now but the room was switched and I have no idea where I'm supposed to be." Louis explains as he leans against the desk. Nick swivels away in his chair to the computer, quickly typing on the keyboard.

"Name of the professor?"

"Ernest Rollins."

"Course code and number?"

"7789 and 56432." Harry pipes in from behind Louis as he flips his schedule back over after reading off the code. Louis briefly glanced behind him and silently thanked Harry with his eyes, the younger male nodding his head in response. Nick hums and scrolls down a page, his eyes scanning over the information being displayed.

"The 8am class with Professor Rollins is at the Rydal building in room RS-24."

"Thank you so much, Nick. You're a lifesaver." Louis says with a smile as he blows the older male a kiss, turning on his heel to rush out the doors. He's already late enough and he's not trying to miss the entire lecture. Harry quickly catches up to the small man who was speed-walking across campus to get to the Rydal building.

"Who was that?"

"Who?" Louis mumbles as he focuses on trying not to step on any cracks in the sidewalk. Harry grins and watches him maneuver around the cracks, genuinely intrigued with his behavior.

"The guy you called Nicky and blew a kiss to not even a minute ago."

"Aw, are you jealous?" Louis coos before rushing up the steps of the building, taking two steps at a time. Harry splutters and chokes on his spit, coughing into his elbow a few times before he even manages to reply.

"What? No, I have a girlfriend who I love. I'm just curious because I never saw you talk to him before."

"Well, considering we just met two days ago I'm not surprised."

Harry chuckles at Louis' smart remark before he grabs the thin wrist belonging to the psychology major, stopping him in his tracks. Louis turns to face him and is stunned to see Harry standing so close to him.

"You're funny, blue. I like talking to you. I really think you should reconsider calling me a friend because I think a friendship with you would be interesting."

He smiles once more before letting go of his wrist, stepping around Louis to walk into the right classroom, not even noticing the effect he left on the overwhelmed male.

 

***

 

"Liam." Louis whines as he buries his face into his arms. "I think I'm in trouble. I just met the kid and only talked to him three times but all I can think about is his pretty eyes and his cute smile."

"And the fact that he has a girlfriend."

"Who might not even exist considering I have never seen her around here—"

"Because she goes to Kingsman University for nursing."

Louis pauses and stares at Liam silently for a few seconds. "How do you know that?" He asks slowly as he watches a smile make its way onto Liam's face. The taller lad leans back into his chair and folds his arms across his chest, returning Louis' stare.

"I did my research like the good friend I am."

"You mean you stalked her like a creepy pedophile?"

Liam sighs in exasperation. "First of all, she's our age and secondly, do you want to know about her or not? Cause I can easily withhold all the information I gathered and you can continue to mope."

"Okay, okay tell me."

"Her name is Astrid Hollands. She attends Kingsman University and is enrolled in their advanced nursing program where she will graduate with both her bachelor's and master's degree. She has a 3.9 GPA at the moment and she's at the top of her class. She has blonde hair and brown eyes with freckles on her nose. She's 5'6 and she weighs 110 pounds. Harry and her have been together since her freshman year of college so about two years now. She calls him Hazza and he calls her Holly because of her last name. People say she is very sweet and very kind to everyone she meets."

Louis drops his head into his hands and lets out a loud wail that catches the attention of the people around him. Liam smiled apologetically and reaches across the table to gently pet Louis' head with a soft sigh. "She's the definition of perfect. Of course he's with her, I would be with her and I'm not even straight!" Louis lifts his head with a pout and leans into Liam's hand that's placed on his cheek.

"Listen to me Lou, it's going to be okay. Who knows if you even really like him, you know? You just met the kid so who knows what's really going on in that little head of yours. By the end of the month everything will be okay and he'll be the least of your worries. I promise you."

 

***

 

Liam was so wrong. It's been three weeks since he first met Harry which officially makes it one month and he's even deeper than he was before. The curly haired lad pops up a lot and is always running into Louis at the most random times. Louis was on his way back from practice and bumped into Harry who was eating ice cream on the bench. They then proceeded to have a heated debate over which ice cream flavor was superior while sharing the tub of mint chocolate chip between the two of them. 

The next time they ran into each other was when Harry was walking back from his final class and caught Louis taking a poptart from the teacher's lounge. The taller man snuck up on him and scared Louis so bad that he screamed which alerted the people nearby of their whereabouts. They just barely managed to escape the room without being seen and hid in the old janitor's closet where Louis offered Harry half his poptart for being a good partner-in-crime.

There were so many incidents that took place in the span of three weeks but Louis' favorite moment had to be when Harry carried him up to his dorm. Louis had just got back from a long night in the library studying for the first test of the year and was waiting for the elevator. Somehow he had managed to fall asleep sitting against the wall due to sheer exhaustion and then the next thing he knew, he was being lifted in the air. He had managed to open his eyes long enough to see Harry smiling down at him before he passed out again, sleeping through the night without realizing Harry took him to his own dorm instead of Louis'.

The giraffe really found a way to worm into Louis' life because now he looks forward to seeing Harry everyday. He wakes up in the morning excited to find out what adventure Harry has in store for them today and he hates himself for it. They have yet to really speak about Astrid and until that happens, Louis is pretending she doesn't exist which isn't exactly a good idea but he just can't bring himself to care.

Right now he's supposed to be meeting Harry for lunch in the cafe so they could speak about this project Professor Rollins assigned to them. It was a debate that the two of them had to research as a team before presenting it in front of the class. Their topic was about the death penalty and they were assigned to be against it.

"Hey sorry I'm late, blue." Harry apologizes as he appears at the table Louis was sitting at. His face was flushed and his hair was messed up from what Louis guesses is the rain. "I tried to get here as fast as I can, I got out of class late but I didn't want to keep you waiting so I ran here."

Louis' brows rose to his hairline as he gazed at Harry's smiling face that made his head fuzzy. "You ran across campus in the rain... so you wouldn't keep me waiting?" He asks slowly to make sure he heard the man right. Harry nods as he shrugs his jacket off, settling into his chair while digging into his bag for his laptop.

"Yeah that's what I just said." Harry agreed while unzipping his laptop bag, pulling his MacBook from it's hiding place. "Something wrong with that?" He asks after a moment, not breaking eye contact with Louis even as he typed his password in. Louis smiles at him and shakes his head a few times before dropping his gaze down to his own laptop.

"No... there's nothing wrong with that at all." He whispers to himself before clearing his throat. "Anyway, let's get this show on the road. Where should we start off? Maybe with some statistics?"

 

***

 

"Man, am I tired." Harry groans as he stretches his arms up above his head. Both men hear a crack from his back and Louis cringes, covering his ears.

"Ah! I hate that sound." He whines which catches Harry's attention. The younger male looks down at his hands before cracking all the knuckles of his left hand, watching the way a shudder wracks Louis' body.

"Oh my gosh, Harry stop before my ears bleed."

Harry laughs at Louis' reaction, reaching across the table to get closer to his ear as he cracks the knuckles of his right hand which makes the smaller male squeal. "Harold! I swear I'll punch you in your fucking throat if you do that again." He threatens the cackling lad, secretly loving the way Harry's face scrunches when he laughs a certain way.

"Okay, do it." Harry simply replies while tipping his head back to reveal more of his neck to Louis. The older male gazed at the smooth skin of his neck and bit down on his lip, his eyebrows furrowing. "I really will do it, don't test me." Louis threatens weakly, already knowing he's too much of a softie to actually hurt Harry.

"Go ahead blue, do it. I dare you." Harry teases while tilting his head down a bit more to connect their eyes. "I bet you won't do it, clumsy. Clumsy, clumsy, clum—oof!"

Harry holds his throbbing shoulder in shock as he stares at a smirking Louis. "Lou! You actually hit me, what the hell?!" He exclaims while rubbing the area where he was wrongfully abused, a pout taking over his lips. Louis giggles and shrugs his shoulders, tapping his fingers against the table.

"I told you I would do it so I did. Now you know to watch what you wish for, don't you Hazza?"

"Hazza?" Harry whispers which makes Louis freeze. He gulps and avoids eye contact as he nervously laughs. "It's just something silly that popped up. Anyway, I have to go because I have practice but you have my number so the next time you want to work on the project, text me. If not, we'll definitely meet up in a week to go over it again." Louis quickly explains while packing his stuff away.

He shoves his chair back and adjusts his backpack, smiling at Harry once more. "See you around, Harry." He says before taking off too fast for Harry to really say anything. The sophomore frowns as he pinches his lower lip between his fingers, pulling at it.

"Interesting."

 

***

 

"Liam, I called him Hazza by accident!" Louis cries out, his voice muffled by his pillow. The distraught male was currently hiding away in his shared dorm with Liam, wallowing in his own self pity. His best friend was lounging on his own bed, eyes glued to his phone as he texted Niall who was still in class.

"What's wrong with calling him that? It's not like he'll know that you know Astrid calls him that."

"But he'll definitely be suspicious and that's besides the point! The problem here is that I called him something like that in the first place and it just had to be the nickname his girlfriend gave him."

"Again not like he'd connect the dots and you guys are friends right? You've been around each other nonstop for the past month so I would assume that you calling him a stupid nickname won't do you any harm." Louis groans and turns onto his side, pulling his pillow from underneath his head to throw it at Liam.

"You're no help!"

Liam huffs when the pillow slams in his face and drops his phone to grab it, beaming it back at Louis' unsuspecting head. "Ow! What was that for?!" Louis cries after the impact, rubbing his nose in annoyance.

"You hit me first, idiot!"

"No I didn't!"

"Ugh, you're fucking annoying. Go bother Harry or something or get ready for practice before I end up murdering you." Liam grumbles while picking up his phone again, resuming his conversation with Niall over text. Louis pouts and flips onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he thinks to himself. Harry probably won't think much of the nickname, he's worrying about nothing.

 

***

 

"He called me Hazza, holly. Are you sure you don't know him? His name is Louis Tomlinson. He has brown hair with blue eyes and he's short, maybe like 5'7 at most which is really cute. He's the captain of the Winmore soccer team." Harry describes his newest friend to Astrid on the phone, picking at the fabric of his blanket. He's been mulling over what happened this afternoon and wondering what made Louis call him that.

"Harry, babe, I think you're overthinking just a little bit. Hazza is a very common nickname for Harry and maybe it just popped into his head. But I can assure you I don't personally know Louis Tomlinson but I have heard of him. He's well known here for being the best soccer player on the Winmore team and went undefeated up until last year when we got Hendricks on our team."

"He's that good?" He asks in mild surprise, having already seen some of what Louis can do at his practices. He always goes to watch and keep Louis company when they have little breaks. He brings him Gatorade and granola bars to keep his energy up like the good friend he is. "Yeah, he's very talented but something happened last year and Winmore lost to Kingsman for the first time in almost thirty years of Winmore's history." Astrid's voice gets muffled as he hears shuffling on the other end.

"You alright beautiful?" Harry asks curiously, staring out his dorm window towards the parking lot where he can see Louis walking towards the field. Harry assumes that he must be going to practice. He drags his eyes away from his figure when he hears Astrid laugh softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just settling into bed right now so I can maybe take a nap before work." Harry frowns and taps his fingers against the table, gnawing on his bottom lip for a few seconds.

"You're not working yourself too hard, right? I don't want you to overdo it. You have advance classes for a major that's already rigorous so I don't want you to overwork yourself by taking these nightshifts at target. I know it's a good pay but still, you can become too stressed and that's not good for your health." He lectures her while getting up from his chair, briefly glancing at his roommate Ronaldo who's been sleeping this entire time. He sleeps a lot actually.

"Hazza, I know babe. I promise I'm okay, I know when to stop and take a break. I need this money though and $14 an hour is a really good pay for a place like target. You know I want to save up for an apartment with you."

"I know, I know. I'm aware of how badly you want that apartment." Harry sighs, grabbing his coat from his chair that he threw carelessly. "Just take it easy, okay babe? I gotta go now though, I have to go meet up with Louis at his practice and give him his snacks so he doesn't pass out. He tends to forget to take a break when practicing and I don't want him to get ill."

Astrid furrows her eyebrows and bites down on her lip, Harry's concerns for Louis seeming very unusual for only knowing him for a month. "Yeah, okay. That's fine. Just call me back when you can, baby. I miss you." Harry smiles widely and blows a kiss through the phone which makes Astrid giggle.

"I miss you more, beautiful. I'll talk to you soon, love you so much."

"Love you more."

 

***

 

Louis was his finishing his ten minute run around the track when he noticed Harry sitting on the bleachers on the side of the field. He tries to stop a smile from spreading across his face at seeing his friend there but fails when he notices a similar grin from Harry. He jogs over to his sitting figure, stopping right in front of him when he's close enough.

"Hey, I didn't know you were stopping by." Louis greets him while placing his hands on his own hips. Harry tilts his head with a smile that had Louis' fingers twitching at how cute it looked. "I've stopped by everyday for the last two weeks, haven't I?" Harry teases him while holding out the bottle of blue gatorade, Louis' favorite flavor.

"Yeah but I assumed you'd be busy today. I remember you mentioning that you were gonna call your girlfriend."

"Yeah I called Astrid already, we talked for awhile but she's going to take a nap anyway before work so I wanted to come by and make sure you remembered to take your breaks so you don't overwork yourself." Harry explains while opening the wrapper of the granola bar for Louis, holding it out for him afterwards.

"Thank you." Louis takes a bite and chews for a few moments as he thinks of what to say. "Astrid is her name? It's very pretty." He finally gets out after a couple seconds, pretending that he doesn't already know so much about her. Harry chuckles and nods his head a few times, taking the empty wrapper from Louis when he finished the granola bar.

"Yeah it's beautiful. It's what caught my attention, I love unique names like Astrid and even you. Louis is not a conventional name but I like it." Louis blinks in surprise at the hidden compliment and can feel the blush take over his cheeks but he hopes Harry just assumes it's from the cold air.

"That's very sweet of you to think that and I'm sure Astrid is very happy that you like her name." Louis smiles and takes a few more sips of his gatorade before screwing the cap back on. "I gotta go before—"

"Tomlinson! Get your ass back here and start the drills! We don't have all day, the girls need the field at 6pm!" His coach shouts from across the field, waving his clipboard back and forth. Both men laugh and Louis shoves Harry on his shoulder, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up, you knew it was coming. Anyway, thanks for stopping by. You don't have to stay because it's pretty cold today but I appreciate your kindness." Louis smiles at him once more before jogging off after waving to him, heading back to his team that was waiting with their coach. Harry barely manages to wave back before Louis was gone and instead chuckles in amusement. He's such an interesting character.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made.

****"Mr. Tomlinson, am I boring you?"

Louis snaps his head away from the window when he hears his professor call his name. He was staring at the job fair that was going on in the square because he spotted Harry walking table to table.

The tall lad was wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a tan jacket with brown boots. His hair was pulled back with a scarf and Louis thought he looked adorable. He couldn't take his eyes off of him which is probably why his professor is giving him a dark look for not paying attention.

"No, I'm sorry sir. I was just distracted." He mumbles before returning his gaze back to the textbook, flipping the page over and reading a random line to make his professor happy. But as soon as he went back to the smart board, picking up where he left off, Louis turned back to the window.

Harry was still at the table he last saw him at and was talking animatedly to the man working, a wide smile on his face.   
Louis held in his squeal and buried his face into his arms, closing his eyes as he pictured that smile in his mind. Harry was just too cute.

"Mr. Tomlinson!"

 

***

 

"So how are things with Harry?" Niall asks as he picks up a pickle slice from his plate, popping it into his mouth. Louis hums softly while he chews on his burger, fiddling with the napkin in his hand. He shrugs his shoulders and swallows his food, clearing his throat afterwards.

"What do you mean? It's fine, we're friends."

"Yeah but you definitely want to be more than friends since you're obsessed with him."

"First of all, I am not obsessed with him. I'm simply enjoying his company as my newest friend. And I never said I wanted to be more than friends, I just said I think he's semi-attractive."

Niall gives Louis a blank look from over the sandwich he was holding in his hands. "Right, you can keep thinking that if it helps you sleep at night." Louis scrunches his nose and sticks his tongue out in response before taking another bite of his burger.

"Leave me alone. We're just friends. He's dating Astrid and they've been together for two years now so what's there to say?"

His friend gives him a sad look and Louis brushes it off, not wanting to think about it. Who cares if the first guy he's liked in awhile is straight with a girlfriend? As long as Harry is happy then everything is okay. "Anyway, let's talk about you and Liam. How was the second date?"

Niall grins when Liam is mentioned, his eyes brightening. "He took me on a picnic to this field he found forty-five minutes away. The flowers were all dead because it's getting colder but it was still so beautiful and he cooked all the food he brought." He placed his hands together and sighed happily, reliving the memories of the date in his head.

Louis fake gagged and covered his nose. "Gross, smells like lovesick puppies in here." Niall rolled his eyes and threw a balled up napkin at Louis' head, the smaller man gasping as if offended by his actions. "I was just stating the truth, no need to get all touchy-touchy."

"You're lucky I love you or we would be fighting right now."

"As if you'd fight me. I'd win against you, no question at all."

Niall glowers at his friend. "What makes you think you'd win?"

"Because I'm captain of the soccer team which means my kicks are lethal." Louis says sweetly while unwrapping his second burger, taking a big bite out of the side.

Niall opens his mouth to say something but stops, closing it again with a huff. Louis giggles at his defeated look and continues to eat his food. "So have you heard of the new scary movie that came out? It's called The Nun and I want to watch it."

 

***

 

Harry was on facetime with Astrid who was up late studying for a big test in her anatomy class. She was spread out on her bed with papers surrounding her, her textbooks open and her highlighter ready. "What does the digestive system do?" He asks her while looking back at his phone, scrolling through instagram. He hears her hum for a few seconds before she replies.

"It breaks down food into absorbable units that enter the blood for distribution to body cells."

"Correct! What is the nervous system?"

"It's a system of sensitive cells that respond to stimuli such as sound, touch, and taste."

"Good job." Harry cheers which makes her laugh, shaking her head in amusement. She sits up in her bed and stretches her arms above her head, making a small noise when her back pops. Harry bites down on his lip to keep the smile from spreading when he thinks about how Louis would have been freaking out if he heard that.

"It's getting late, H. Don't you have an early class tomorrow?" She asks while pulling her hair up into a ponytail. She wraps her hair tie around two times before tightening it, dropping her hands back down afterwards. Harry nods his head in confirmation and double clicks on a picture Louis posted a few hours ago of the sunset.

"Yeah, I have a 7am class but if you still need to study then I'll stay up with you."

"I appreciate it babe, just a few more questions and then we can stop."

Harry smiles and nods his head. "Okay, next up is the skeletal system. Explain it to me."

Astrid furrows her brows as she thinks, tapping her pen against her notebook. "It.. protects and supports body organs, and provides a framework that the muscles use to cause movement. Blood cells are formed within muscles—no wait! Within bones and the bones store minerals." Harry laughs softly and nods his head.

"That's great, beautiful. You're definitely going to ace this test tomorrow without any issue. I don't know why you're so worried."

"It's an important class, Hazza. I need to make sure I pass or I'm out of the program." She explains while putting papers back into her folder. "If I get kicked out of this program then I'm screwed."

"But you won't—"

"Hold on Harry, I need to do something real quick before I forget. I'll be right back." She interrupts him before disappearing from the camera, hopping off her bed. He sighs and leans his head back against the wall, his eyes going up to the ceiling. Things have been strained with Astrid recently because she's been extremely stressed with the program she's in.

They don't have time to meet up and they barely have time to really talk on the phone for long so they're basically living through text messages at this point. He doesn't really know what's going on in her head but he's worried for her.

A sudden strong aroma of baked cookies pulls him out of his thoughts and he furrowed his eyebrows, looking around at where it could be coming from. He grabs his phone and climbs off his bed, wiggling his feet into his navy blue slippers that his mom sent to him a few days ago.

He walks towards the door and pulls it open, the smell getting stronger as he looks down the hall towards the communal kitchen. He can see a faint glow of a light coming from beneath the door which meant someone was in there. He glances behind him at the clock and sees that it reads 2:53am. Who could be up baking at this hour?

Harry looks down at his phone and sees that Astrid is still gone so he decides to go check out what's going on. He gently closes the door behind him and shuffles down the hall towards the light coming from the kitchen. Once he gets to the door, he gently pushes it open and peeks inside.

His jaw almost drops when he sees Louis standing in front of the oven with oven mitts covering his hands, holding a tray of cookies. "Louis?" He asks incredulously while stepping further into the kitchen. The smaller man yelps when he hears Harry's voice and whips around to face him.

"What the hell? Are you baking cookies at three in the morning?" Harry asks while placing his phone down on the counter. He walks closer to the shocked lad who stood in just sweatpants, still surprised at Harry's sudden appearance.

"Uh.. yes." Louis replies slowly as he looks down at his cookies then back up to Harry who was standing in front of him. The taller of the two started to laugh hysterically, bending over as he holds onto his stomach, the situation becoming hilarious to him.

Louis pouts and places the tray on the counter, shoving Harry on his shoulder. "What? What is so funny? I'm stressed because of my classes and practice so I bake when I get too overwhelmed!"

Harry continues to laugh, not aware of Astrid coming back into the camera. She settles on her bed, face freshly washed when she saw Harry talking to a small man through the screen. "Harry, stop laughing at me." He whines while crossing his arms over his chest. Astrid watches as Harry wipes away what she assumes is tears from laughing.

"I'm sorry blue, that's just too funny to me. I didn't expect to find you baking cookies at three in the morning but I'm not surprised."

"I'm just stressed, I have an important presentation tomorrow and I couldn't sleep."

"So you bake cookies?" Harry asks while running a hand through his hair. "Louis it's late, you need to sleep." He starts to scold him while pinching Louis' small nose between two fingers. Louis yelps and swats at his hand, his eyebrows shooting up.

"Harry! You're so annoying, let go of my nose. I'll sleep when I want to." He retorts with his voice being distorted from Harry's grip. The younger male laughs and pokes Louis' side with his free hand which makes him squeal. On the phone Astrid giggles into her hands at the sight of Harry being so playful.

"I'll let go when you tell me that you'll go to sleep."

"But I'm too stressed to sleep."

"It's three in the morning, Lou! I have a 7am class and the smell of you baking will keep me up." Harry explains while letting go of his nose, watching as the older male wiggles it a few times to get the feeling back.

"But... it's chocolate chip." Louis says weakly in a sad attempt to convince him to stay. Harry purses his lips as he thinks, his face twisting in thought. Louis picks up a cookie and wiggles it in front of Harry's nose in a enticing way. "You know you want some."

Harry squints his eyes. "Okay, just one and then you're wrapping shit up because I need to sleep." He says firmly while grabbing the cookie from him, taking a bite. He makes a small noise at the gooey dessert and gives Louis a look.

"Damn blue, this is really good." He says around a mouthful as he picks up another one. Louis laughs as he puts his oven mitt back on, opening the oven to take out his latest batch. "I'm the best baker you've ever met." Louis replies while taking out the tray.

Astrid watches the two men talk in silence from where she sits in her dorm. Harry has yet to notice that she's been back for almost ten minutes now and she doesn't know how she feels about it. She takes a moment to study who she can only assume is Louis Tomlinson.

He's small for a guy but it's honestly very endearing. He has chestnut brown hair that's currently swept to the side to reveal his cerulean blue eyes. When he smiles really wide or laughs, cute wrinkles appear by the corner of his eyes and his whole face lights up. He's very fit from what Astrid can see considering he's shirtless. He has a small pudge but a strong chest and when he turns around Astrid can see that he has a very voluptuous bum.

Overall, Louis is extremely attractive and Astrid is stunned because she's not use to Harry having friends that look like models. She can see what all the talk about Louis is here at Kingsman considering he's well known because of his soccer skills. There are many girls and guys who are interested in the small lad and she understands why.

Sitting there watching Harry laugh when Louis mimics a squirrel eating an acorn with a cookie, Astrid starts to feel conflicted. "Louis you're getting crumbs everywhere, you're such a mess." Harry scolds in between a chuckle as he wipes some crumbs from the corner of Louis' mouth. Astrid smiles small and shakes her head before deciding to hang up. She'll just call him back tomorrow when he's not so distracted.

 

***

 

"Do you think you'll have enough time for a job?" Liam asks from where he walks beside Louis, his hand entwined with Niall's who was next to him. They were currently in the square at the job fair since it was the last day for it to be here. Louis dragged the couple here because he didn't want to come alone in case he found a place he liked.

"I mean I can always apply after our season and I can switch my classes around so I don't have huge gaps. Plus I'm completely free after 9am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays besides practice." Louis points out while scanning the names of the tables, none of them catching his attention. He doesn't really need a job because he's here on a soccer scholarship but he would like the extra money since his savings are slowly running out as the years go by.

"I just think it'll add more stress for you and I don't want that."

"Liam's right." Niall pipes in while looking away from the mechanics table, turning his attention to Louis. "You have more than enough money saved up to meet your needs and if you ever were in dire need of some cash, you know you can ask your dad."

Louis scrunches his nose at the mention of his father and shakes his head, taking another glance at the tables. Niall has a point but the thought of having to ask his dad for anything doesn't sound too appealing right now. "I'll think about it but I won't be asking him for anything." He murmurs before turning his attention to his phone that vibrates.

"Harry just got out of class so we can meet him at the cafe."

The three of them leave the square and walk down the path that will lead them right to the Lares building which holds the cafeteria. "Is it bad that I'm kind of nervous to meet him officially?" Niall asks as he rubs his thumb across the back of Liam's hand.

Louis gives him a side glance. "Niall, you were his NSOL at orientation. Why would you be nervous if you've already met him?" He asks while ducking under a tree branch.

"I mean yeah, I met him but I never actually talked to him outside of orientation and it was mostly business, I guess you can say. I doubt he actually remembers me anyway."

"Why do you care if he remembers you anyway?" Liam asks in a fake offended tone that makes Louis roll his eyes. Niall pouts and nudges Liam with his shoulder, squeezing his hand afterwards.

"You know it's nothing like that, you dummy. He's obviously important to Louis so he's important to us because we should all get along for Louis' sake."

"But what if I don't like him? What would happen then?" Liam questions out of curiosity, wrapping his arm around Niall's shoulder as they walk into the building. "Well, I'm not sure but I guess Harry just couldn't hang out with all of us together and vice versa." Louis murmurs in response as he looks around for the tall lad.

He spots him sitting by the window, his gaze aimed outside. "He's over there." Louis points out before making his way towards the sophomore, maneuvering around the multiple tables set up in the room. Once they get close enough for Harry to notice them, he looks away from the window and meets Louis' gaze with a smile.

"Oh hey, I didn't even know you were here already." Harry says as he stands up, pulling Louis into a hug. The smaller man hugs him back, secretly inhaling his sweet lavender scent before Harry pulls away. Louis clears his throat and gestures to his two friends who were watching them in interest.

"Harry, these are my close friends since high school. That's Niall Horan and Liam Payne, they've been dating since forever. Guys, this is Harry Styles. He's a sophomore here who transferred in from community college."

"Hey, it's so nice to meet you." Harry greets them as he shakes Liam's hand first. "You were my NSOL from orientation, weren't you?" He asks Niall when he shakes his hand causing the brunette to grin.

"Yeah I was, I didn't think you'd remember me."

"Of course I would! You told me that wild story about the time you jumped off that huge cliff into the river."

"Oh, you told him about the Costa Rica trip?" Liam asks in amusement. "Did you happen to mention how you were crying like a little baby the entire time until Louis had to force you to jump off by holding your hand the entire way down?"

Niall scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. "I wasn't... I wasn't crying, what are you talking about?" He mumbles while turning his head to the side to avoid eye contact. Louis raises his brows with a smirk and makes a soft humming sound.

"Really? So you won't mind us showing Harry the video we have of the jump, yeah?" He teases Niall who gives Louis a dark look. Harry covers his mouth with one hand and clears his throat to keep from laughing, biting back a smile.

"You are all jerks, you know that?" Niall mumbles while walking past them to sit down. Louis laughs at his reaction, too engrossed by poking Niall who swats at him to notice the grin on Harry's face as he watches him. But Liam notices and he purses his lips in interest, making a mental checklist.

 

***

 

"Wait—you actually did that?!" Liam asks in between his laughter, face red from how hard he was cracking up. Harry laughs along with him and nods his head, picking at the fries on the plate in front of him.

"Yeah I know, it seems so unrealistic but I'm telling you man, when you're under that type of pressure you just run for it."

"Wow, absolutely amazing." Liam whistled and shook his head, handing Niall the bottle of ketchup when he gestured towards it. The four men have been talking since they first got there three hours ago. They're all getting along really well which makes Louis so happy because he wants all his friends to be cool with each other since it'll make his life easier.

Liam, Niall, and Harry all got food and have been eating for the last half hour while telling stories. Louis wasn't hungry and decided to stay back while they went to get food but ended up falling asleep while waiting. When the three men got back to the table, Louis woke up momentarily but eventually slumped back into his previous position, knocking out on the table.

Harry was kind enough to lend him his jacket as a pillow so he had something to lay on. He's been asleep for twenty minutes now and Harry finds it hilarious in a way. "Has Louis always been this... unique?" Harry asks as he bites his fry in half. Liam snorts and swirls his own fry in ketchup, popping it into his mouth.

"I've known Louis since we were in 5th grade and I can assure you that he's always been this way. It's just something about him, I guess. He doesn't care for what people think and he's more than okay with being himself which is a huge part of what I admire about him." Liam explains while glancing at his friend who was still asleep, eyelashes fluttering.

"Yeah I agree. Even though I met Louis and Liam when we were in 8th grade, I realized the same thing. He's always been open about who he truly is in public. He never changes his personality to make someone happy and some people find his behavior unusual but we love it. It's one of the many things that make him perfect." Niall says with a small smile, reaching across the table to brush some hair from his forehead.

"I can see that you are all so close." Harry comments while flickering his eyes back and forth between the couple. "And I understand what you mean, there's just something about Louis that draws you in."

"Exactly." Liam replies before taking a sip of his soda. Niall grabs it afterwards and starts to drink from it as Liam turns his attention to Harry. "The more you get to know him, the more you'll see how pure his heart is and then nothing will stop you from literally falling for him in every way possible."

Harry looks beside him at Louis who was still sleeping like a log. He took in the way he sighed occasionally, his fingers twitching on top of the table. He took in the way his nose scrunched a certain way or how his soft brown hair fell onto his forehead. "Yeah, I get what you mean..." He whispers after a moment, not noticing the look Niall and Liam exchange with each other. "He's so special."


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made.

****Louis was typing on his laptop when he felt hands grab at his shoulders. He lets out a yelp and jumps out of his chair, whipping around to see a smiling Harry behind him. He places a hand over his heart and breathes a heavy sigh of relief. "Jesus, I was so scared." He whines as he tries to calm his nerves, using his free hand to slap Harry's arm.

The taller man laughs and ruffles Louis' hair which makes him huff. "Sorry blue, I just couldn't resist." Harry tells him while moving around Louis to sit down in the chair across from him. Louis retakes his seat and clears his throat as he pushes his chair in. Harry was flipping through his notes, scanning over what they have done.

"Okay, so I think that we have a solid argument right now but we should give an example of a case where someone was falsely accused and sentenced to death as an innocent man."

Louis nods his head in agreement, already typing on his laptop for a case similar to that. "Yeah, I had the same idea so we could solidify it even further by having a real life incident. After that I think we're pretty much done, we just have to have our theorized rebuttals ready and then we're good to present tomorrow." Louis explains as he glances up at Harry, stopping when he sees the man frowning at his phone.

"H, are you listening to me?"

Harry's head pops up and he meets Louis' gaze, the smaller man taken back by the sadness in his eyes. "Yeah, sorry. I just got a little distracted by Astrid. She's been acting really weird recently because she's stressed out and I don't know what to do." He sighs and drops his phone down onto the table. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't be talking about this while we're working on our project."

"No." Louis stops him from moving on and closes his laptop. "Talk to me and get it off your chest. I'll try to help as best as I can." He insists with a small smile, folding his hands together as they rest on the table. Harry hesitates for a second before nodding, taking a deep breath.

"Okay so Astrid goes to Kingsman like I've mentioned before and she's there for nursing but it's their advanced program so it's very rigorous." Harry starts off while he fiddles with his popsocket. "She's staying up late studying for everything and then she's gone all day because of her classes and because of work,"

"And you might think I'm getting upset because we're not talking much and that's partially true but I'm mostly upset about the fact that she's literally working herself to death. I have no idea what to do or how I can help because I'm busy with my own classes,"

"And I just landed this really cool job so that's going to tie me here at Winmore which means I can't travel all the way to Kingsman during my free time because it's an hour and a half away." He muses his hair in frustration and lets out a heavy sigh. "I want to help her and I want to work on our relationship but it seems like all the odds are against us. What should I do?"

Louis blinks at the sudden rush of information, biting down on his lips as he tries to comprehend what's going on. Harry stares at him in anticipation wanting to know what he should do. Finally, Louis opens his mouth to speak.

"Alright well let's start from the beginning. Astrid is a smart girl from what I hear from you and I think she knows that she should take it easy." Harry nods his head and Louis continues on. "So I'm sure that in her free time, she's relaxing as much as she can. If it gets really bad then maybe you should talk to her about quitting her job,"

"Just until things settle down because it's too much on her right now. You should also talk to her about her sleeping habits because I know she's studying but she's losing hours of sleep so she's not at her best when she's tired."

Louis presses his thumbs together and shifts his gaze to the table. "As for not talking too much, maybe you can find ways to work around your schedule if not talking really bothers you. There are ways to work together in order to have a successful relationship. And yes, sometimes it's going to be hard and you'll go days barely saying two words to each other but if you stay positive, it can work in the end,"

"You also need to focus on your classes and your new job, which, congratulations by the way you never told me about it. What I'm saying is you both need to find balance in your own lives before finding balance in your relationship. Once you do that, things will fall into place and life will get a little bit easier for the both of you. I'm sorry if I didn't help at all, I tried my best."

Harry smiles softly and shakes his head, reaching across the table to grab Louis' hand. The smaller man watches as Harry laces their fingers together and tries to calm his racing heart at the skin on skin contact. "No, you did more than enough blue. Thank you so much, it makes sense and I understand what I have to do." Harry softly assures him as he rubs his thumb over the back of Louis' hand.

Louis swallows the lump in his throat and squeezes Harry's hand comfortingly. "It's the psychology major coming out." He jokes which makes the younger male laugh, his eyes twinkling with happiness. And yeah, it was weird giving the guy he likes relationship advice but seeing that smile break out on Harry's face was worth the inner pain he'll feel later on.

"Okay, enough messing around. Let's get this project done and over with."

 

***

 

"Not only does it cause more harm than good within our society, it fails to solve the problem it was created for. That is why we are against the death penalty and the pain it brings." Harry concludes while looking around at his fellow classmates, Louis standing by his side with an iPad in hand. "Thank you for your undivided attention, have a great day."

"Great job Louis and Harry." The professor tells them as he claps his hands, the rest of the class following along. "On Friday we'll start with Amanda and Andrew, you all can go." Louis steps down from the stage with Harry's help, thanking his friend as he walks past him towards his bag.

"I think we killed it!" Louis exclaims while slinging his bag over his shoulder, stuffing his iPad inside before zipping it up. Harry laughs and nods his head in agreement where he stood packing his stuff away.

"I think so too, blue. I believe this is cause for celebration. How about we go out to eat?"

"Yeah, sounds great. Where do you want to go?" Louis asks while looking up from his phone, mildly shocked to see Harry standing right in front of him. "Okay, you need to get a bell because I literally can't hear when you move." Harry laughs and ruffles Louis' hair, the smaller man swatting at his hands.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were so distracted by your phone. And we can go to this small cafe that's down the road. I ate there on my first day and they have this chicken sandwich with this spread called goddess cream and it's so good." Harry explains to him as they walk out of the classroom, making their way to the stairs.

"Alright, sounds good. That sandwich better be legendary or I'm suing you for false advertisement."

"Oh no I'm so scared." Harry says while mocking a terrible scared expression that had Louis snorting in amusement. "You're less intimidating than a little kitten, especially when you snort like a little piggy."

"Okay, okay get your facts straight. Am I a kitten or a pig?"

Harry pretends to think as he taps his chin. "Hmm, is it possible for you to be both?" Louis grins and shakes his head, "Nope!" He replies while popping the 'p' as he descends the stairs with Harry by his side.

"Dammit. I'll say a piggy because you snort like one at least seven times a day and—oh wait! Professor James, can I talk to you?" Harry cuts himself off when he sees his English teacher pass by. "Louis, I'll be right back. I won't be long." He tells his friend before taking off after his teacher, stopping in front of him as they start to talk.

Louis hums softly as he watches them talk for a few seconds, rocking back and forth on his heels. He looks down at his watch and sees that it's only 9:17am. He doesn't have practice until 2:00pm so he has more than enough time to eat with Harry. Louis looks up from his watch back to the two men talking and sees that Harry is frowning. He wonders what they're talking about.

Louis doesn't dwell on it for long when he spots a vending machine in the break room a few doors down. Inside the vending machine was s'mores pop tarts and Louis' eyes widen. For days now the vending machines were out of them because they're popular so the school was waiting for a new shipment.

He glances behind him again and see that they're still talking so he assumes he has enough time to snag a packet. Louis quickly walks towards the break room, speeding up when he sees another guy enter before him. He steps through the room and walks up to the vending machine, standing behind the guy as he tries to decide what he wants to get.

Louis taps his foot in quick movements, gnawing on his lip when he sees that there was only one packet left. He watches silently as the guy drops his coins into the slot and squints when he starts to punch in the numbers. His jaw drops when he realizes the guy was about to get the last packet of s'mores pop tarts.

Louis' hand launches forward and he covers the keypad, scaring the guy. "Wait! Please don't get them!" He exclaims as he pushes himself between the vending machine and the confused student.

"But why not? Is there something wrong with them?"

"Well... no. But you see, these are my favorite pop tarts and the vending machines have been out of them for days now and this is the last packet. I'll do anything, I just really want to get those please."

The guy frowns and glances behind Louis at the vending machine before returning his gaze back to him. "No. I want them so you're shit out of luck, buster." The guy says with an attitude as he pushes Louis aside, moving to press the last button. Louis huffs and slaps the guys hand away, covering the keypad again.

"Listen here buster, I need these pop tarts because I have been driving myself crazy trying to find a vending machine that still has them. There are a million other things in this vending machine that I'm sure you like so please, just let me have this one thing."

"No." The guy says again with an eye roll, shoving Louis aside so he can press the button. Louis gasps and catches his balance so he doesn't fall, watching in horror as the last packet of pop tarts fall from the vending machine. "Lou? What's going on?" Louis hears Harry's voice and can't stop himself from saying what he said next.

"Harry, punch him!"

If Louis wasn't freaking out about saying something as impulsive as that he would have been flattered by how quickly Harry listened to him, landing a good punch to the guy's right cheek. If he wasn't freaking out about the guy on the ground holding his red face then he would have been blushing at the fact Harry so willingly came to his rescue even if he didn't know what was going on.

"Get out of here!" Harry exclaims while moving to stand in front of Louis. "And don't mess with Louis again or else." He threatens as he watches the guy get up to scurry out of the room. Louis buries his face into his hands as he groans in disappointment. Why did he say that?

"Blue, are you okay?" Harry asks as he bends down to be closer to Louis, pulling his hands from his face. "He didn't hurt you, did he? Are you alright?" He questions him frantically while checking Louis for any bruises or cuts that the guy may have left on him.

"No, no, I'm fine."

"So why did I have to punch that guy?" He asks while tucking some hair behind Louis' ear, turning his head to the side so he can check once more for any bruising. Louis ducks his head in embarrassment and fiddles with the bottom of his shirt.

"Well you see, uhm he may have tried to take the last... pop tart."

Harry pauses in his next reply, his face going blank as he stares at Louis who refuses to meet his eyes. "You're telling me that I punched that guy because he tried to take the last pop tart?" He asks slowly while dropping his hands to his sides.

"It just came out and I didn't know what to do and you reacted so quickly that I didn't expect it to turn out like that and I'm so sorry please don't—"

"I could be charged for assault, you maniac!" Harry screeches while grabbing at Louis' ear, tugging on it to punish the smaller lad. Louis whines and tries to wiggle away from Harry, pushing at his wrist to let go.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know you would have just charged at him and it slipped out, I don't know why I said it." Louis cries out while slumping against Harry's body, accepting the punishment. Harry sighs and lets go of Louis' ear, wrapping his arms around his stupid friend.

"Jesus Lou, of course I would have protected you without a doubt. I automatically assumed he was trying to hurt you." Harry mumbles while resting his chin on top of Louis' head, his fingers gently rubbing at Louis' earlobe to relieve some of the pain. "Next time warn a guy so I don't catch a charge over something like pop tarts, okay?"

"Okay." Louis mumbles into Harry's chest, his body tingling at the feel of Harry against him. "I'm really sorry, it won't happen again I was just so overwhelmed and I wasn't thinking." He apologized as he pulls his head back to look up at Harry. The taller lad smiles fondly and shakes his head, flicking Louis' forehead.

"It's okay. I'm just glad nothing bad really happened to you because I'd be so upset." Harry admits as he pulls away from Louis, moving around him to the vending machine. Louis watches as Harry grabs the pop tart from the slot, ripping the packet open to reveal the beauty that is a s'mores pop tart.

"Here you go." Harry holds out one half, the other one already in his mouth as he chews. Louis giggles and takes it from Harry, biting it in half as they walk out of the break room, walking down the hall towards the front doors. Yeah, Harry is the only person he'd willingly share his pop tarts with.

"I'm not going to find you baking again at 3am because of this, am I?"

"Maybe."

 

***

 

Harry stared at Louis blankly, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. "Louis, would you like to explain why you're at my door at 1:35am?" He asked in a raspy tone from having just woken up due to Louis' rapid knocking.

"I can't open it."

"Can't open what?" Harry rubs at his eyes to try and wipe away some of the tiredness, blinking a few times. He wasn't ready for when Louis held out a plastic packet containing a pair of green scissors. Harry sighs and resists the urge to facepalm as he gives Louis an expectant look.

"Louis, darling, are you telling me that you're standing outside my room at one in the morning because you can't open up your scissors?" Harry asks for clarification as he prays this is just a dream.

"Yes, that is true."

Harry got closer to his face, their eyes level as Louis smiles sweetly. "Louis, if you do this again I'm going to punch you. I need sleep and this is not an emergency. Did I not tell you to only come to my room for major emergencies after I've gone to sleep, hm?"

"This is an emergency to me. I need it for a project but I can't get it open without scissors but how can I do that if my scissors are inside the packet." Louis explains his dilemma, wagging the scissors in front of Harry. The younger male takes a deep breath and Louis just keeps smiling in response.

He grabs the packet from Louis and disappears from the doorway into his room. Louis folds his hands behind his back and hums as he waits, swaying side to side. A second later Harry appears with the packet open and thrusts it at Louis. "Don't come to my room after I'm asleep unless it's a dire emergency that will lead to death. Understand me, blue?"

"Yes sir!"

Harry shakes his head and closes the door so he can go back to bed. Louis giggles and skips off to the elevator to go back to his own floor, happy that he got to see Harry when he's sleepy. The biology major yawns as he climbs back into his bed, settling into his sheets when he hears rustling from his phone.

"Who was that?" Astrid quietly asks through the receiver, having been up studying when she heard the knocking. She was the one who woke up Harry to answer it because she knows Ronaldo is a heavy sleeper.

"It was just blue. He needed some help getting something open." Harry mumbles into his pillow as he starts to fall back to sleep, a small smile tugging at his lips. "He's an idiot sometimes... it's endearing." Astrid hears him whisper before Harry falls back to sleep. She listens to him breathe for a few seconds as she stares down at her notebook.

"Endearing, huh?"

 

***

 

"Stop going to Harry's room at odd hours of the morning just to hear his morning voice." Liam scolds Louis as he flips through his textbook. Louis giggles and shakes his head, cutting through the large poster board so he has two instead of one.

"But it's so nice and raspy. It gets even deeper than his normal voice and it's soothing to me."

"Harry is going to punch you one day for bothering him and I'm going to allow it to happen."

"I wouldn't mind because it would mean that he's touching me." 

Liam gives Louis a semi-worried look before he turns back to his textbook, picking up his highlighter as he starts to read. "You have serious issues."

"Possibly."


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment because it encourages me and gives me motivation to continue writing!!

 

"Why do I have to go wait outside? It's freezing out!" Louis complains as he shoves Liam's hands away when the man tries to pass Louis his jacket.

"Because you ordered the stupid pizzas in the first place." Liam retorts as he finally tosses the jacket at him, turning around to walk back to his desk. Louis huffs and sticks his tongue out at Liam, hopping off his bed to put his shoes on.

"I saw that, Louis."

"I don't know what you're talking about, mother." Louis pulls his jacket on and zips it up before grabbing his student ID so he can get back in. "This is why you're getting no garlic knots."

"Shut up and go wait for the pizza."

Louis gives Liam the finger before closing the door behind him, walking down the hall towards the elevators. He pushes the down arrow and sighs softly as he waits for the doors to open. Liam and Louis are cramming for a test in their English class tomorrow so Louis had the bright idea of ordering pizza. If he had known that Liam was going to force him to wait for the pizza outside then he would have gladly starved to death.

Louis steps off the elevator and walks towards the front doors, waving at Robert, the new security guard, as he passes by him. He pushes the doors open and shivers when a rush of cold air hits him. He stuffs his hands into his pockets and buries his nose into the top of his jacket.

"Louis?"

The small man turns his head when he hears his name and is surprised to see Harry sitting on the bench a few feet away from him. "Harry? What are you doing out here?" He asks while shuffling towards the bundled up man, taking the seat next to him.

Harry laughs softly, puffs of smoke appearing due to the cold. "I'm waiting for pizza that I ordered." Louis' eyes widen and he quickly hits Harry on his arm multiple times in excitement.

"Me too! Me too!"

"Did you order from—"

"Mortibellos? Yep."

Both men laugh at the coincidence, shuddering when another gust of wind attacks them. "Fuck, it's really cold." Harry mumbles while pulling the beanie on his head further down to cover his ears. Louis sneezes into his elbow before he nods in agreement.

"Yeah I know, I hate the no waiting in the lobby rule."

"Me too. And it's not like we can wait in the lounge either because there's like no cell reception in there so we wouldn't even know when the pizza would get here."

"Exactly! It's like they're trying to torture us." Louis cries out while throwing his hands up in the air. Harry chuckles and presses his arm into Louis' side, sniffling as his nose starts to tingle. "How long have you been waiting out here?" Louis asks while playing with the material of Harry's jacket, his fingertips brushing against Harry's cold hands.

"I'd say about ten minutes before you came out. Good thing you did though because I was getting so bored I was thinking of pulling a Louis and start talking to myself for entertainment."

Louis glowers at him. "I don't talk to myself, I simply think out loud."

"That's the same thing as talking to yourself, blue."

"I came out here for a good time and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now, I don't need this." Louis makes a move to stand but is stopped by Harry grabbing his wrist.

"Hey I'm kidding, stay."

Louis tries to prevent his heart from jumping out of his chest, rolling his eyes as a facade. He sits back down next to him but Harry doesn't let go of his wrist, choosing to rub his thumb over the smooth skin instead. Louis buries his nose into his jacket again to hide his smile, his pulse quickening in excitement.

"How are you feeling?" Louis asks after a moment of silence passes between them. Harry turns his head away from where he was looking at the stars to meet Louis' gaze. "I mean after the whole Astrid talk we had, I was kinda worried."

Harry smiles small and nods his head, finally letting go of Louis' wrist to grab his phone from his pocket. "We're good for now, we talked things out a few nights ago so I hope things get better." He starts off while unlocking his phone. "Uhm, she's actually upstairs right now. I'm sneaking her in for the night so we can spend some time together while Ronaldo is away at that trip."

Louis gulps at the new information and keeps his head down. "She's h-here? Really? That's n-nice." He stutters out while kicking his foot at the ground. He presses his lips together as he tries to think of how to respond to the notion that they're probably going to have sex. "I'm glad you worked things out, H. I was worried so I'm glad you're okay."

Harry grins and nudges Louis with his shoulder. "When did you get so sappy?" He teases him which makes Louis giggle, the smaller male pushing Harry's leg with his own. "But honestly, thank you for talking to me that one day because I was so close to breaking things off because it just wasn't working out."

Louis mentally kicks himself for being so helpful and fakes a smile when Harry glances at him. "That's... great. Good job to me, I guess." Louis laughs awkwardly as he looks away from Harry towards the ground. Of course he had to be a good person and help Harry with his relationship. Why can't he ever be selfish for once?

Before Harry could say anything, they're interrupted by a car pulling up to the building. Louis is the first to recognize the logo on the side of the car and stands up to walk closer to the parked vehicle. Harry gets up to follow him as they both stand in front of the car when the pizza guy steps out.

"I have two separate orders. One for Louis and one for Harry." He reads off the receipts before looking up at the two men. "Which one of you is Louis?"

"I am." Louis holds his hand up before stepping forward, digging in his pocket for his wallet. He frowns when he doesn't feel it and checks his other pocket for it but is empty handed. "Motherfucker." Louis mumbles to himself when he realizes he forgot his fucking wallet in the room.

Harry's lips quirk up into a smile when he hears Louis' reaction and immediately knows he must have forgot his wallet like the dummy he is. "I got it, mate. How much is it for both orders?" Harry asks as he steps forward, nudging Louis aside with one hand.

"But Harry-"

"Nope, I know you left your wallet so it's okay. I got it covered, blue." Harry smiles so sweetly at Louis that it makes him want to cry but he decides to duck his head in a blush instead. "How much?"

"$25.67 is the total."

"Great." Harry says before taking his wallet out, pulling out three tens. "Here. Keep the change." He exchanges the money for the food and grabs the three boxes, holding it in one arm. The pizza guy gets back into the car and reverses out of his spot before speeding away, leaving them alone once again.

"Thank you, Harry." Louis whispers to the taller lad who watches him with fond eyes. "I don't know why I didn't grab it when I left, I must have been distracted."

"Well... it's you so I'm not that surprised." Harry tells him with a laugh, walking past Louis towards the front door. "Can you swipe us in or did you forget your ID as well?"

"No, no. I got it." Louis pulls his ID out and slides it through the card reader, pulling the door open after he hears the click. He holds it open for Harry who passes through before following after him.

"Hey, why don't you come and meet Astrid." Harry suggests as they walk towards the elevators. Louis snaps his head to the side and stares at Harry in shock, his mouth parting.

"Uhm, you want me to meet her?"

"Yeah, why not? We've been friends for over two months now so I think it's time you finally met her in person. I promise you she's a sweet person, she won't bite." He assures Louis with a chuckle, walking into the elevator when the doors open. Louis silently follows him as he has an inner meltdown, his fingers fiddling with his sleeve.

He's never saw Astrid in person or even spoke to her for the matter so he's kind of nervous. How do you act around the girl who's dating the guy that you like? "Yeah, okay sounds fun." He mumbles while lifting his head from the ground when the doors open to Harry's floor.

Harry walks out with Louis right behind him. The taller lad glances behind him when he feels a shaky hand grab onto the back of his shirt and smiles small. He grabs the handle of the door and twists it before pushing it open. Louis peeks from behind him when the door opens and catches a glimpse of a girl sitting at Harry's desk.

Astrid had her back towards the door as she read through her medical textbook, pen in her hand as she took notes. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and she was wearing tights with a long t-shirt that Louis assumes is Harry's. She had a petite frame and from Louis' position he could see a beauty mark at the base of her neck.

"Hey beautiful, I'm back and I brought someone I wanted you to meet."

Louis' breath catches in his throat when she turns in her chair to face the two men. Even from twenty feet away he could see her freckles proudly displayed across her nose. Her lips were pulled into a small grin even though her face was filled with confusion. Her brown eyes were more like hazel as they glowed brightly in the dim lighting of the dorm.

"This is—"

"Louis 'blue' Tomlinson?" She cuts Harry off with a soft giggle. Harry's lips twitch into a grin and he nods his head, craning his neck to look back at Louis.

"Come out, blue. She's not an animal so you don't have to be scared." Harry says with a chuckle as he places the pizza down.

Louis gulps before slowly stepping out from his hiding spot behind Harry. He watches as Astrid stands from her chair, his hands twisted together in front of him. Louis was so nervous about seeing her for the first time in person that he didn't notice Harry walk away into the bathroom.

"Hi I'm Louis, it's n-nice to meet you." Louis smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous." He mumbles his apology for his stutter. Astrid laughs and shakes her head before stepping forward to grab Louis' hands.

"It's okay, people say I look intimidating." She shrugged casually and Louis' stomach started to twist. Astrid pats Louis' hands twice before letting go, "Harry talks about you a lot."

"Wha—really?" Louis blinked rapidly, his heart felt like it was going to explode. Harry talks about him? "So like... what–what does he say about me?"

"He talks about how weird you are but that it's a good weird. He tells me you're very funny and that you like to make him laugh." Astrid smiled small and ran a hand through her ponytail. "He says you're not scared to be yourself—he thinks you're endearing."

"Oh," Louis covered his eyes and took a deep breath to try and calm himself. Astrid watched him in interest, her head tilting. "I'm sorry for intruding on your–your date. I hope you're not mad at me."

"Don't be sorry. It was unexpected but I'm glad I got to meet you." She chuckled and adjusted the neckline of her shirt. "I've been wanting to see you in person ever since Harry told me about you because he speaks about you a lot and I mean... excessively so I was curious."

"It's because I'm always around him." Louis smiles nervously. "I don't have many friends so..."

Astrid hummed softly and nodded. "Maybe, yeah. What uhm, what made him bring you here if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, I ran into him outside when he was waiting for the pizza. I had also ordered pizza for me and my roommate so I uh, ran into him." Louis trailed off and looked down at his hands. "And we got to talking about you and he said you were here so." He shrugged. "He brought me up here to meet you and here I am."

"Interesting." She pulls her hair down from her ponytail and Louis admires how long it is. "Harry is a very sweet person." She flickers her gaze to him. "He loves people and he loves making friends even if it means talking to them at four in the morning."

"No," Louis shook his head vigorously and scrunched his nose. "I've tried that and he gets sleepy upset."

Astrid couldn't contain her laugh, "I definitely see what all the talk about you is for. And I understand why Harry is so fond of you." She looks to the bathroom when she hears the sink turn off. "Maybe you should go back to your roommate, I'm sure he's hungry."

"Yeah I should get going." He nodded his head twice. "It was great meeting you, thanks for being so nice."

"I'm so glad I got to meet you, you're such a pure soul." Louis felt so bad because Astrid seemed so sweet and she looked like an angel and Louis was evil because he liked her boyfriend and—he really needs to get his life together and move on.

"Thank you. I hope to see you again soon."

"Yeah, maybe. If I have the time to come back." Astrid surprised him by pulling him into a hug. He blinked and stood frozen for a second before hugging back. After a moment she pulls away and grabs his hand, leading him back to the door. "Keep making Harry laugh, alright? He needs some good friends like you."

"Yeah, of course. Bye..."

"Bye Louis."

Louis stood frozen in front of Harry's dorm room, listening to the muffled voices talking to each other. What just happened? He shakes his head and takes a deep breath before releasing it in a scream when the door opens again. Harry jumps back at the sight of Louis mixed with the scream, Louis' food in his hand.

"Blue, why were you just standing there?" Harry asks between a laugh. Louis shakes his head quickly and swipes the food from Harry, his head bowed.

"I w-wasn't. I came back because I forgot my food. Anyway, it was nice seeing you... bye." Louis scurries off down the hall with his head down. And if he had looked back at all he would have seen Harry staring after him in a mixture of confusion and fondness.

Astrid was so sweet and she was so lucky to be with Harry. And Harry is so lucky to be in love with a girl like her. And Louis feels heartbroken because this always happens to him, he always likes the guys that never like him back.

 

***

 

Louis threw the door open to his dorm and then slammed it shut, leaning his back against it. "Liam!" He screeches when he doesn't see his friend on his bed or by his desk. Liam pops his head out of the bathroom to see his best friend slumped against the door in a crouched position with the pizza box in front of him.

"Lou? What happened?" He asks in concern while hurrying over to him. He kneels in front of him, pushing the box aside to pull Louis onto his lap. Louis rubbed at his eyes to stop any tears from forming, his lips in a pout.

"I ran into Harry outside waiting for the stupid p-pizza and he told me Astrid was visiting him tonight and he brought me up there to meet her and–and..." Louis trails off as his bottom lip wobbles. "And she was really sweet and nice and pretty so now I feel horrible because I like her boyfriend." He whines while burying his face into his hands.

Liam sighs softly and pulls Louis closer to him so they could hug. "Lou, I told you he had a girlfriend the day you spoke to me about him. I told you he was straight and I told you not to get too attached." He whispers while running his fingers through the soft hair atop Louis' head.

Louis sniffles and rubs his cheek that was slowly starting to warm up. "I know–I just thought maybe he was bisexual or something... anything to make me believe I had a chance with someone like him."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Anyone would be lucky to have you, Harry just happened to be straight and is unaffected by the tommo charm. But that doesn't mean that there isn't someone else out there who is waiting for someone as crazy as you." Liam teases him at the end.

Louis giggles and pulls away from the hug, pressing his hands against Liam's cheeks. "I'm not crazy, I just have crazy tendencies." He replies which makes Liam grin, his cheeks being squished by Louis.

"That's the same thing, Lou."

Louis' reply was interrupted by a knock on the door. They both turn to look at it and Louis clears his throat. "Come in!" The door opens a moment later to reveal Harry holding a small foam box that contained Louis' garlic knots.

He pauses when he sees the position the two men were in and raised his brows. He wasn't expecting to find Louis cradled in Liam's lap when he opened the door. Louis frowns and climbs off of Liam's lap. "Sorry, I guess I forgot those too." Louis mumbles while taking the box from Harry.

Harry doesn't reply as he stares at Liam with an unreadable look. Liam looks back at him in surprise, standing from his sitting position to be at Harry's level. "Is there a problem?" He asks while moving closer to Louis, nudging his friend behind him.

The taller lad is silent for a moment as Louis looks back and forth between them in confusion. "No, there's no problem. My bad, I didn't mean to interrupt." Harry finally says while dragging his eyes away from Liam to look at Louis. "You forgot that so I thought I'd bring it back up."

"Thanks." Louis smiles at him and takes Harry's hand, leading him away from Liam and out the door. "Sorry for being so bothersome with the food, I don't want to take any time away from Astrid."

"You don't need to apologize, blue." Harry says while brushing a strand of hair from Louis' forehead. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" He grins and leans in to peck Louis' forehead, catching the psychology major by surprise.

Before he could say anything or even react to the sweet gesture, Harry was walking away to the elevators. Louis sighed and rested his head against the door, closing his eyes. What is going on in his life?

 

***

 

Louis quickly knocked on Harry's door, his fingers shaking as he took a deep breath. It took awhile for the door to open but when it did, Louis saw a shirtless Harry wearing nothing but ball shorts. "I swear to god Louis, if this isn't an emergency then I'm going to punch you because I don't have to wake up for another two hours."

"Shh, it is! Come to my room, hurry up." Louis speedily waves his hand and waits for Harry to let out a heavy sigh before swiftly walking down the hall. Harry sluggishly follows him to the elevators, rubbing at his tired eyes.

When they get to Louis' dorm, the smaller of the two opens it slowly before tiptoeing inside. "I was getting ready for class and I didn't even notice it until I was about to leave. I was too scared to touch it and I need you to dispose of it." Louis quietly explains to a confused Harry.

"Louis, what are you talking about?" He asks while looking around the room. It looks different than he last time he saw it two days ago. Louis grabs his arm and pulls him further into the room, pointing rapidly to the bed.

"Harry there is a strange man in Liam's bed!" He exclaims as quietly as possible while gesturing to the sleeping student. Harry's eyes widen and he pulls Louis behind him, glancing at the guy sleeping before looking back at Louis again.

"What the fuck, blue? How did you just now notice a strange guy in the room?" Harry scolds at Louis who was peeking out from behind him.

"I was distracted last night! I was so tired from practice because I had to stay late. I was half asleep on my way back here and just collapsed in bed."

"But still–"

"Sh! Just dispose of it."

"Louis I can't dispose of a human being, that's called murder."

"Then get him to leave." Louis whines while tugging on Harry's shirt. "I'm too scared to touch him."

"Alright, alright." Harry sighs and shifts to the side, pushing Louis further back. "Stay back in case something bad happens." He orders him before turning back around to face the guy. He steps forward and places his hand on his arm that was covered by the blanket.

"Hey, dude you need to get up." Harry says loudly as he shakes the guy. "Get up right now." He shakes him harder when the guy starts to stir, his head lifting from his pillow.

"What the–What is going on? Why are you two in my room?" The guy asks in confusion while scurrying back towards the wall. "How did you even manage to get in here?!"

"Dude, you're in the wrong room. This dorm belongs to Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne." Harry explains, Louis nodding his head quickly from a few feet away. The guy furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head.

"What no... this is definitely my room–did you say Payne? That's uh, yeah that's definitely the guy like two doors down from me. This is my room and my roommate is Paul but he's away at an overnight game."

Both Louis and Harry pause as they take in what he just said. After a moment, Harry slowly starts to turn around to face Louis. "Blue," He starts to say with a dark look taking over his features, "Please tell me that you didn't walk into the wrong dorm last night."

"Huh... that's why my key wasn't working."

"You broke into this guy's dorm room?!" Harry exclaims while pulling at his hair. "Blue, what is wrong with you? Oh my god," Harry whips back around to face the confused student. "Bro, I'm so sorry. I was misinformed and I'm just so sorry. We'll be leaving, please don't file a complaint.

Harry stalks out the room, dragging Louis along with him by his wrist. "Bye! It was nice to meet you." Louis waves at the guy who slowly waves back before the door shuts behind them.

Harry stops a few feet away and turns around to face his friend. "Louis, I'm going to kill you. You need to be more careful! How did you even get into the room if your key didn't work?" He asks in exasperation while running a hand through his curls.

"I picked it with a bobby pin."

"Shouldn't the key not working be the first sign that you were at the wrong dorm? Maybe the wrong number on the fucking door could have been a clue too!?"

"I was half asleep! I told you I could barely even walk, I didn't notice it and you didn't either!"

"Because," Harry drags his hands down his face, "Because I was just blindly following you half asleep since you woke me up at six in the morning."

"Well see, there you go. It wasn't just me."

Harry stares at him blankly, his lips pressed together. "Hey, your face is getting a little red. Are you okay, H?" Harry doesn't reply and chooses to grab Louis' hand instead. He walks down the hall with Louis behind him to the correct room, knocking on it twice. A second later the door opens to reveal Liam.

"Oh hey! There you are Lou. I tried to call you but your phone must be dead, I was so worried when you didn't come back last night." Liam says, looking back and forth between the two men. He takes in Louis' sheepish expression and Harry's annoyed one. 

"What's going on?"

"Our dear friend was so tired last night that he idiotically broke into someone else's dorm a few doors down thinking it was yours. He then decided to wake me up at six in the morning because a 'strange man' was in 'Liam's bed' when in reality the guy was just sleeping in his own dorm. So here, it's your problem now. Take the bobby pin away from him too. I'm going back to bed." Harry gently pushes Louis towards Liam, turning on his heel to walk back to the elevators.

"And Blue, if you come to my room before 8am then I'm going to drop kick you." He calls out from over his shoulder before he turns around the corner. Louis waves bye to him even after his figure disappears, unaffected by Liam's glare.

"I don't even know where to start. Seriously Lou, a fucking bobby pin? I thought I took that away from you. How did you get it back?" Liam sighs in disbelief before walking back into the room with a smiling Louis following him.

"I think I made a new friend, Liam!"


	6. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!!

****Louis scratches at his wrist with a frown, his skin burning and tingly. He tries to ignore the feeling and focuses on writing his notes down as fast as the teacher is moving along. "We're going to be doing another group project that will be due by the end of the month. I will be assigning groups and it will be in threes." Rollins explains to his class as he scans the room.

Louis huffs and starts to rub at his wrist again when it becomes too much. He scratches until he's satisfied, his eyebrows furrowed. Harry, who was sitting beside him, glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Are you okay, Louis?" He whispers as he copies a chart down into his notes, noticing the way Louis was itching.

The smaller man shakes his head and waves the question off, picking up his pen again. "It's nothing, don't worry." He whispered back as he starts to write again. Harry frowns but decides to let it go, returning his attention to his notes.

 

***

 

Louis sighs as he presses the enter button on the keypad of the vending machine in the laundry room. He watches as the small packet of dryer sheets drop down and reaches into the slot to pull them out. Louis makes his way back to his dryer and rips the package open, pulling out three sheets. He tosses them inside and closes the door before pressing start.

He throws the rest of the sheets into his hamper for the future, taking the seat in front of his dryer. Liam was out on a date with Niall right now so Louis was left to do the laundry alone since it was piling up. He ran out of dryer sheets awhile ago and now he has to use the stupid ones in the vending machine that makes him itch.

He crosses his legs and pulls his sleeve up, itching at his red wrist where a rash was forming. He needs to go to the doctor to get ointment for it and while he's out, he'll pick up new sheets. But for now he'll have to deal with the irritating pain.

 

***

 

Louis winces and rubs at his arm, already knowing a new rash was developing. Right now he's in the square with Harry who needed help with his English paper. Louis tried his best to ignore the itch but it's starting to become too much. He scratches at his arm with a heavy sigh, his eyes closing.

Harry glanced up from his screen to look at Louis, concerned when he saw the pained expression on his face. "Blue, what's wrong?" Harry asks while closing his laptop to give him his full attention. Louis shook his head and turned a page over in his notebook.

"It's nothing, just the dryer sheets in the vending machine irritating my skin. I'll be okay."

"Oh," Harry furrows his brows. "You can borrow mine until you get new ones then. I don't want your skin to be irritated, I know how sensitive it is."

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course." Harry laughs and ruffles Louis' hair who smiles in response. "It's just dryer sheets, dummy. Come by anytime to get them." Harry ends the conversation by reopening his laptop, resuming his typing on the last paragraph of his essay.

 

***

 

Louis sighed as he walked down the hall towards Harry's room. His arm was burning and his legs were starting to itch as well. He's done with the stupid dryer sheets from the vending machine and was going to Harry's room to borrow new ones. He resists the urge to scratch at his arm and twists Harry's doorknob, pushing it open.

A second later Louis lets out a yelp and slams the door shut, his eyes wide and filled with shock. He hears rapid movement behind the door and covers his mouth, "Oh my god." He whispers before rushing off, making a beeline for the elevators.

He definitely shouldn't have seen that and it's his fault because he should have knocked but he didn't think Harry was there because he had left campus hours ago to do something.

Back in the room Harry pulls out of Astrid slowly as to not hurt her, running a hand through his hair. "Fuck." He groans before burying his face into his hands. Astrid pushes herself up into a sitting position, the sheets pulled over her chest to hide her nudity.

"Was that–?"

"Yeah that was definitely Louis." Harry sighs and lifts his head, making a move to climb off the bed. Astrid darts her arm out and grasps his wrist to stop him, a frown on her face.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To go see Louis." Harry says as if it should be obvious. "He just saw something that was probably super awkward and uncomfortable for him and I need to make sure he's okay." He explains while pulling his wrist away from her hold.

Astrid sighs and flips her hair over her shoulder as she sits up more, letting the blanket drop. "Baby, we're in the middle of something here. You can check on him after we're done, right? I was so close." She tries to convince him while sliding her hand down his chest.

Harry bites down on his lip, his eyes connecting with hers. "I understand that beautiful and we have all night to finish this and then some. But right now I need to make sure he's alright because he gets overly emotional when overwhelmed." He leans in and pecks her lips before getting off the bed.

Astrid frowns and watches as Harry gets dressed, her hands grasping the blanket to pull it back up again. "Are you serious?" She asks while swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

Harry shifts his gaze to her as he fixes his hair, leaning in again to drop a kiss to her cheek. "I'll be quick, alright? I promise." He whispers, kissing her lips once more before he pulls away, walking towards the door.

"Harry!" She calls out but is answered by the door shutting softly behind him. She huffs and looks around the room, her head shaking in disbelief. "What the fuck?"

Harry steps off the elevator when it gets to Louis' floor, walking down the hallway that leads to his room. When he gets to the familiar door, he knocks on it twice. He rubs his lips together as he waits for a reply but hears nothing. He frowns and looks around the hallway, wondering if Louis came back here or not. He turns and goes to walk away when he hears a quiet sneeze followed by the faint sound of sniffling.

Harry turns back to the room with raised brows, grabbing onto the knob with one hand before he slowly opens the door. He peeks his head inside and scans the room, no sign of Louis to be seen. Another sniffle brings his attention to the bathroom and Harry slowly steps inside, shutting the door behind him.

"Louis?" He softly calls out while looking around the room. Liam's side of the room was spotless besides a few stray textbooks laying around. Louis' side looked relatively the same but with a pile of clothes on top of his bed. He goes deeper into the room and peeks around the corner to see the bathroom door slightly open with the light on.

"Louis, are you okay?" He asks again, picking up his pace when he hears a small sob. He slowly pushes the bathroom door open to reveal Louis sitting against the sink cabinet, his knees pulled up to his chest. What really caught Harry's attention was the fact that he was crying, his face red and blotchy with bloodshot eyes.

"Blue what–are you okay?" Harry asks in surprise as he drops down to his knees in front of Louis. The smaller man cries harder when Harry cups his cheeks, his hands moving up to rub at his eyes. "Sweetheart, why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry!" Louis wails as he drops his hands down by his sides. "I should have knocked and I'm sorry but I thought you were gone and I assumed Ronaldo probably left the room unlocked again and I should have been smart and knocked anyway but I'm an idiot and I'm so sorry please don't be mad at me."

"Hey, hey stop. It's okay Lou, it's okay." Harry shushes him while wiping his tears away with his thumb. "You don't need to apologize, I should have locked the door but I got caught up in the moment. I'm not mad at you, I promise."

"I'm still sorry." Louis whimpers and roughly scratches at his wrist. "I just wanted to get the dryer sheets you said I could use because I'm tired of the stupid ones from the vending machines because they make me itch but I should have knocked and—"

"Louis, it's fine." Harry stresses as he brushes hair away from Louis' forehead, his face twisted in concern. "What is this about itching?" He asks while rubbing under Louis' eye. Louis sniffles and slowly pulls his jacket off to reveal his red arm that had three small rashes scattered across it. The worse one was on his wrist and it was starting to bleed from how badly Louis was unconsciously scratching it.

"Fuck blue, this looks bad." Harry gasps while grasping his arm with two hands, his eyes scanning over the damage. "Why didn't you ask me sooner for the dryer sheets or just stop using them? You need to go to the hospital, shit."

"I'm sorry." Louis whispers with a pout, his fingers twitching with the urge to scratch his irritated skin. "My car is in the shop and the closest hospital is two hours away by bus so I was just going to wait until the weekend." He explains as Harry gently turns his arm over to look for more rashes.

"You could have asked me for a ride, I would have gladly taken you." Harry scolds him with a frown as he stands, carefully pulling Louis up with him. "Get what you need and let's go, I'm taking you to the hospital."

"What—no! Harry, go back to Astrid. I'll be fine, I'll ask Liam to drive me when he comes back from his trip."

"No." Harry says firmly while leading Louis out of the bathroom and into the room. "Grab what you need to bring and let's go. Astrid will understand. You're bright red and bleeding, dude. I'm not going to let you deal with this alone."

"You're being dramatic, I'm not dying." Louis complains, pushing away from Harry when the man tries to help him into his jacket. "Astrid is upstairs waiting for you."

"Louis." Harry says firmly while placing his hands on Louis' shoulders, "Look at me, blue." Louis lifts his gaze from the floor to meet Harry's heated stare. "No matter what it is whether it's a broken skull or a stupid paper cut, I'm going to be there to make sure you're alright even if I was with Astrid or anyone else. Do you understand me?"

Louis' lip begins to wobble again as his eyes start to get watery. He sniffs and nods his head, covering his eyes with his hands. "Please take me to the hospital, it hurts a lot but I was too stubborn to go and I'm an idiot."

Harry pulls Louis into a quick hug, pressing his nose into his hair. "It's okay, I get it and I'm here to help. Put your jacket on and I'll get your things." He whispers before pulling away. Louis sniffles and pulls his jacket back on, zipping it up as Harry grabs Louis' wallet and student ID.

"Come on, let's go."

Harry takes Louis' hand in his and leads the boy out of his room, using his key to lock the door. He holds Louis' hand the entire way down to the lobby and even on the walk to Harry's car in the parking lot. And if Louis wasn't already red from the irritating rash then he would have been because of Harry's touch. As soon as they got into the car, Harry took his phone out to text Astrid.

**hazza** **(** **_6:56pm_ ** **)**   
**I'm taking blue to the hospital because he has these really bad rashes that are starting to bleed. I'll be back soon, I love you.**

Harry put his phone away and pulled out of his parking spot, driving around the building to get to the exit. And if he had stopped to check his messages on the way to the hospital, he would have seen Astrid's reply to his text.

**holly** **(** ** _6:56pm_** **)**  
 **it's okay I'm going to head back to my dorms because I feel like I'm intruding. tell Louis I hope he feels better soon** ☺️

 

***

 

Louis sighs as he climbs out of Harry's car with the little bag of pills and ointment in his hand, new dryer sheets in another. It was nearing 12am and they just got back to the dorms after a long visit at the hospital. In the waiting room Harry had to hold Louis' hands to keep him from scratching which honestly was okay with him.

But the doctor prescribed him ointment to relieve the itching as well as pills to counteract the effect the dryer sheets gave him. It should all be gone within a week as long as Louis doesn't scratch so Harry has insisted he keeps a close eye on him to stop him from making it worse.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asks as they walk into the building, making their way to the elevators. Louis was surprised when he heard Harry speak because the man was relatively quiet the entire time they were gone ever since he read Astrid's message. Louis doesn't really know what it said but he knows it must have upset Harry because the man started acting differently after he saw it.

"Uhm, I'm okay now I think. The ointment worked pretty fast and the itching faded." Louis replies softly while fiddling with the bag in his hand. His eyes were focused on the numbers that were slowly going up as the elevator rose.

"That's good." Harry says in response which makes Louis nod. It gets silent between them and Louis rubs his lips together as he starts to feel guilty. He knew that Harry shouldn't have taken him because Astrid was here and now he probably upset her which he didn't want to do. Finally, there was a ding as the elevator gets to Louis' floor and the doors roll open.

Just as he was about to step out, he feels a hand grab his wrist. He turns to face Harry with raised brows, taken back by the vulnerability in his eyes. "Can you, uhm will you please spend the night at my dorm with me? Astrid left because she's upset with me and I just... I really would like some company." Harry asks softly which makes Louis' heart clench.

He smiles softly and nods. "Of course, H." He whispers in reply while stepping back, standing beside Harry who doesn't let go of his wrist. The doors close again and Louis takes the opportunity to study the way Harry's hand curled around his wrist so elegantly.

"She said she felt like she was intruding." Harry suddenly says as the doors open to Harry's floor. They both step out and make their way down the hall to Harry's room. "What does she mean by that? How could she possibly be intruding in any way?"

Louis purses his lips at the information and tugs on his shirt while Harry unlocks his dorm. "I just don't get why she's sad and it's frustrating because I want to help her. Am I doing something wrong? Am I being stupid and not knowing it?"

Harry sighs and tosses his keys onto the table, walking towards his bed. He collapses on top of it and runs a hand down his face, exhaustion from the day finally hitting him. "Tell me what I should do, blue."

The smaller man gulps as he shuffles towards the bed, carefully sitting down next to Harry's legs. He tries not to think about the fact Harry and Astrid were in the middle of having sex on this very bed almost five hours ago. "I can't tell you exactly what you should be doing Harry because I'm not you and I don't know how your relationship works."

He sighs and bows his head, folding his fingers together. "Maybe she's going through something and hasn't told you or maybe she truly felt like she was being a burden to you tonight and I'm pretty sure it's partially my fault so I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for anything." Harry interrupts him while sitting up in his bed. "You didn't do anything so don't say sorry. Astrid has her own issues with me that we have to talk about so don't think it's your fault because it's not, it never was." 

Louis frowns and rubs his eyes, coughing a little when his throat starts to itch. "I think you two just need to talk if I'm being honest. Maybe you both are just too stressed to really comprehend how the other is truly feeling—I don't know, I'm not you or her so I can't say for sure."

He huffs and ruffles his hair. "I'm sorry, I want to help you but I don't know how to make you feel better." Harry smiles small and leans forward to brush his knuckles down Louis' cheek.

"Just talking to you is making things better so thank you for keeping me company."

"Anytime." Louis grins and plays with a string sticking out from the side of Harry's sweats. "Do you uhm, do you want to watch The Office? I know watching the show makes you happy." Louis suggests which makes Harry's smile widen.

"Yeah, I'll go get some snacks from the kitchen and you can put it on my laptop." Harry tells him as he starts to get off the bed. "My password is suckmycock94 by the way."

Louis bursts into laughter at the password and covers his mouth as the crinkles appear by his eyes. Harry chuckles and fondly rolls his eyes as he grabs his wallet from his desk. "Shut up, it's an old password from years ago." He mumbles before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Louis tries to stop the laughter from slipping past his lips as he grabs Harry's laptop from his desk. He settles into his bed and opens it up, quickly typing in the password that has him giggling. He opens up the browser and was typing in Netflix when he noticed a small folder at the bottom that was labeled as 'blue' which caused him to frown.

He hesitates on clicking on it, not sure if he should since it's an invasion of privacy but in the end he decides to. It takes a few seconds to load and when it does Louis was surprised to see the contents of the folder. There were about two dozen pictures of Louis smiling, laughing, frowning, cheesing... it was one for almost every mood.

Added on to that were pictures of Louis and Harry together from adventures they went on. Louis recognized a picture from the time they went to a poetry slam a week ago and it was of Louis drinking out of a tea cup. There was another one of Harry and Louis hugging in front of the Statue of Liberty when they went there for their effective speech class trip.

There were so many others of times that were so special to him and Louis almost started to cry because now he knows that they were special to Harry as well. "Fuck, I'm screwed." He whispers to himself as he realizes this won't help get over his feelings for Harry.

"Hey, so I didn't know exactly what you would have wanted besides pop tarts so I got one of almost everything they had in there." Harry's voice comes through as he starts to open the door. Louis quickly exits out of the folder and clicks back on Netflix, typing in the search bar for their current favorite show.

"Yeah that's fine, I'm pretty hungry so I'm cool with anything."

Louis smiles at Harry who climbs back onto his bed after dumping the buttload of snacks onto the bed. "What season are we on again?" He asks Harry as the taller man settles beside him, an open bag of Doritos already in his hand.

"Season 6 and I think we're on episode 10."

Louis clicks on the correct episode and puts it on full screen before taking the packet of pop tarts Harry holds out to him. " _Got you! Broken arm! Boom! Boom Boom! Broke nose_!"

The two men watch their show in silence besides the usual laughter when something funny happens. It wasn't until halfway through the episode that Harry felt a weight drop onto his shoulder. He raises his brows and tilts his head to look at Louis' face only to see him sleeping with his lips slightly parted.

His lips twitch into a smile and he chuckles in amusement before returning his gaze back to the computer screen, his head resting on top of Louis'. He listens to the way Louis breaths, not really paying attention to what was happening in the episode before he slowly starts to fall asleep.

 

***

 

Louis makes a small noise as he stretches his arms above his head. He yawns into the empty room, his tired eyes watering as he blinks them a few times before opening them. He makes a move to sit up but is stopped by a heavy weight on him. He frowns and rubs his eyes, looking down at what it could be.

He's shocked to find Harry's arms locked around his waist, one leg slung over Louis' as the taller lad sleeps. They must have fell asleep while watching their show and somehow ended up in this position. Louis sighs and buries his face into his hands, taking a deep breath to try and stay calm.

He's so happy that they're in this position but he knows it's not right since Harry is with Astrid. With a dejected feeling swirling in the pit of his stomach, Louis carefully slides away from Harry's grip. He manages to slip out of the bed without waking him up and starts to gather the stuff he brought with him yesterday.

He quietly tiptoes to the door and slowly opens it, glancing back at Harry's peaceful expression. Louis frowns and shakes his head again, slipping out the room without a sound. He hopes that one day he'll wake up to Harry cuddling him in a bed that they share together as a couple but until then this can't happen again.

He quickly makes his way down the hall once he gets to his own floor and runs a hand through his hair. "Hey! Aren't you the weird kid that broke into my dorm? It's Louis, right?" Louis hears from behind him and whips around to see a familiar face. It was the guy from that one morning a week ago and Louis was surprised to see him smiling.

"Uh yeah, yeah that's me." Louis laughs awkwardly and rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry about that by the way, I promise I don't just break into people's dorms for fun."

"It's no problem." He replies with a chuckle as he walks closer to Louis. "I've been trying to look for you because I wanted to see you again but you've been like a ghost."

"I've been pretty busy recently, I'm sorry. Did you need something, is that why you were looking for me?"

"Uh yeah actually," The guy smiled and Louis thought it was pretty cute when he did that. "I actually wanted to know if you'd like to hang out with me like as a date... will you go on a date with me?"

Louis' eyes widen and his mouth parts in shock at the unexpected question. The guy must have interpreted his reaction as something bad because he quickly starts to backtrack. "I mean you don't have to because I know you barely know me and I don't even think you know my name and it's Noah by the way but—"

"Yes Noah, I will go on a date with you."

"Wha—come again?"

Louis giggles and bites down on his lip at the happy expression that takes over Noah's face. "Yes, I'll go on a date with you. What day were you thinking about?"

"Maybe Saturday if you're free? I'll pick you up at 8pm?"

"Sounds great. I'll see you then."

Louis smiles and waves bye to him before turning around to go to his dorm. He briefly glances behind him to see Noah smiling widely as he fist pumps the air. He giggles and turns around again, unlocking the room before walking inside. He closes the door and leans against it, his gaze lifting to the ceiling. Holy shit, he just got himself a date.


	7. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Leave kudos and comment!!

 

Louis walked up the stairs that led to a study area in the library. He had two textbooks in his hand along with his laptop so he could cram for his next class. He's actually supposed to be in his English class right now but he's skipping class to study for his test in developmental psychology.

He lets out a sigh and stops at an empty desk, pulling the chair out. He carefully sets the textbooks down along with his laptop before sitting in the chair. His backpack is placed next to his chair and he unzips it to grab his notebook and pencil case. Once he's settled in, he flips his textbook open to the chapter they're working on in class.

Louis opens his laptop and quickly types in his password, clicking on the browser. He types in his password for his school account and clicks on the link to the study guide. Once he has it displayed in front of him, he starts to copy the questions into his notebook, his eyes flickering back and forth from the screen to the page.

He was only working for about five minutes when a voice interrupts him. "What the fuck?" The familiar voice whispers. Louis furrows his eyebrows and pokes his head above the back wall of the desk, scanning the room for who it was. His eyes fall on a sitting figure a few feet away from him and Louis immediately recognizes it as Harry by the scarf in his hair.

He frowns and taps his fingers against his desk. It was only 8:45am so Louis knows that Harry is supposed to be in his Chemistry class right now. He blinks when the realization that they're both skipping class to study for another class hits him. He lets out a snort at the coincidence which has Harry's head snapping up.

"Blue?" He calls out without looking behind him and Louis stares at the back of his head in shock. "Louis is that you?" He asks while turning in his chair. Their eyes meet from across the room and smiles come across their faces.

"What are you doing here?" They ask in unison before breaking out into laughter. Louis stands up from where he was hovering over his chair and walks around his desk to get to Harry.

"I'm skipping class to study for a test for another class."

Harry laughs. "Me too but I'm working on a lab report for my chemical biology class." He stares up at Louis with a grin, this being the first time he saw him since the night of the incident with Astrid. Louis places his hands on the back of Harry's chair and rocks on his heels.

"Great minds think alike." He points out with a wag of his finger. "How long have you been here?"

"For about ten minutes now. You?"

"Just got here when I heard you talking to yourself."

"I wasn't—shut up." Harry groans while Louis laughs, his nimble fingers pulling at the scarf on Harry's head to adjust it. "How did you know I was here though?" Louis asks him after a moment of Harry watching him.

"I heard your snort and just knew it was you."

"But how?"

"I don't know, to be honest." He shrugged casually and grabbed Louis' wrist, turning it over to examine the fading rash. "It was just an impulse, almost like an automatic reaction." Louis bites his lip to hide his excitement. In his psychology class he's learning about how some people become attuned to the emotions and traits of the people dear to them and how it's like they're rewired to automatically detect when they're around. This sounds like the case for this situation and that makes him happy.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asks while brushing his fingers over Louis' arm where two other rashes use to be but have faded away. "I see the cream is working really well."

"Yeah, I feel fine now." Louis smiles and allows Harry to play with the ring on his pointer finger. "The new dryer sheets are really good and they smell amazing so problem solved." Harry nods his head and lets out a hum.

"You've been busy recently? I haven't seen you since that night you slept over."

"Oh yeah, yeah." Louis nods. "You know, just swamped with school and stuff." Louis lies, tapping his fingers against Harry's chair. And it's partially true, he's been busy with school but he's also been avoiding Harry because he doesn't know how to behave when he's around him.

"Hey listen." Harry reaches up and brushes some crumbs away from the corner of Louis' mouth from the pop tart he was eating earlier. "I want you to know it's not your fault, okay? Don't feel guilty about what happened because you didn't do anything wrong."

"I know I just feel awkward." Louis whispers while rocking back on his heels again. "I feel like I should just not be around when she's here so you can focus on her."

"No, never." Harry shakes his head vigorously. "I would never want our friendship to turn into something like that. You can hang out and come around whenever you want, my girlfriend being there shouldn't affect that—unless the door is locked." Harry winks and Louis forces himself to laugh, wringing his hands together nervously.

"Yeah, yeah I understand. Thank you." Louis shakes his head. "Anyway, are you coming to lunch with us? We're going to eat at around 12:45pm."

"Yeah of course but I gotta leave for work after that, I start today."

"The paid internship with Professor Malik right?"

"Yep! Five days a week, 5 hours a day, $9 an hour. It's not much because it's just an internship but it's enough to help me out with anything extra I need."

"That's awesome Harry." Louis smiles and ruffles his hair, the taller man laughing at the gesture. "I'm so so happy for you."

 

***

 

Louis was picking at his chicken salad when he felt the chair next to him move. He looks up and sees Harry smiling down at him from where he stands with a turkey wrap in his hands. "This seat taken?"

"Saved it just for you."

Harry's smile widens and he sits down, placing his food on the table. "Where's Niall and Liam?" He asks while unfolding his napkin, spreading it on the table before moving his food to rest on top of it.

"They're getting their food. They should be here soon."

"How'd the test go?" He asks before biting into his wrap, watching as Louis picks out the celery in his food. The smaller of the two blushes, hiding his cheeks behind his hands.

"I passed."

"What percentage?"

"Ninety-seven."

Harry grins widely. "Good job! I guess skipping that class was worth it, huh?"

"What was worth it?" Liam interrupts as he pulls out the seat across from Louis, Niall sitting down in it before he pushes it back in. He sits down beside Niall, his gaze flickering back and forth between them.

"Louis and I ran into each other this morning in the library because we both were skipping to work on another class and he passed his test with flying colors so I said it must have been worth it."

"Oh you're talking about that test you failed to study for last night because you were so busy blabbing about your new date." Liam teases with a laugh, not noticing the way Louis' eyes widen. A frown takes over Harry's face at the new information he wasn't aware of.

"A date?"

"Yeah, Louis has a date tonight. Remember the kid whose dorm he broke into that one night? Well, he asked Louis out and surprisingly Louis said yes which—"

"Liam, babe, why don't you finish eating because you have to leave soon to take a test." Niall cuts him off when he sees the looks on Louis and Harry's faces.

"Oh yeah, yeah you're right." He murmurs before taking a bite of his chicken burger, completely oblivious to the sudden tension surrounding them.

Harry turns his head to look at Louis who refuses to meet his gaze. "Louis?" Harry calls softly, his lips pursing when Louis doesn't look at him. "Blue, can you look at me when I'm talking to you please?"

Louis sighs and lifts his gaze from the table to meet Harry's eyes and fakes a smile. "Yes Harry? What's up?"

"You got a date and you didn't tell me? Why not?"

"It just slipped my mind, it's not that big of a deal."

"Yes it is, it is to me."

"Why? Are you jealous or something?"

"What? No, that's not it." Harry sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, his stomach twisting in knots. "I just–I don't know, I thought you'd tell me something like that."

"But it's not even that important or relevant to anything."

"Uhm, yes it kinda is because you're my friend who has a date with someone tonight and I'd like to know that so I can be prepared."

"Prepared for what!?"

"For anything! You never know what could happen, blue."

Liam and Niall watch the two men bicker back and forth, their eyes wide at the sight. Finally, Liam realized what he was doing when he was talking and mentally kicked himself. But he doesn't understand why Harry would be upset or why Louis wouldn't tell Harry in the first place since he was so excited about it.

"It's not of your business." Louis hisses and Harry's mouth parts in shock at the tone. After a second, he presses his lips together and nods his head.

"Fine." He mutters before pushing his chair back, standing up with his trash in his hands. "I have to go, I'm going to be late for work. See you guys around." Harry walks away from the table and they all watch as he throws his food away before he disappears into the crowd in the cafeteria.

Louis huffs and quickly stands up, mumbling to himself as he gathers his things. "Louis, where are you going?" Niall asks in concern for his upset friend. He doesn't want Louis to do anything dumb that might get him into trouble or hurt.

"I'm going back to my dorm, I need to get ready for my date tonight."

"But—" Niall was cut off by Louis abruptly walking away with another huff, his face twisted in annoyance. Niall sighs and turns to his boyfriend who smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I would have thought Harry was the first to know."

"You're so dense, you need to be more self aware." Niall says with a chuckle, getting a kiss from Liam in response. "Hurry up and eat before you miss the test."

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting."

 

***

 

"Why didn't you tell Harry?" Liam asks from where he lays on his bed, a book in his hands. Louis sighs from the bathroom as he stands in front of the bathroom mirror fixing his hair.

"I don't know. I just didn't think anything of it." He replies while swiping his fringe to the side, rubbing his lips together. "I think maybe I was scared?"

"Scared of what? What could have possibly gone wrong?"

"I was scared of Harry acting different around me. I don't even know if he knew that I was gay—"

"He definitely knew."

"That is besides the point." Louis glares at his own reflection. "I didn't want him to start behaving weird around me just because I have a date. He'd stop doing the little stuff he does like playing with my fingers when we watch TV or ruffling my hair."

"Why do you think he'd stop doing all of that?"  Liam questions while picking his phone up when it vibrates. He reads over the text message from Niall and quickly types out a response as Louis sighs.

"Because it's Harry and as soon as he thinks I have a date or a potential boyfriend, he'll want to back off so our closeness doesn't bother them and that way I'd have a better chance." Louis explains before applying chapstick to his lips, rubbing it in a little with his pinky.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I just do. I know Harry and I know how he thinks, it's just... natural to me." Louis frowns and shakes his head. "Whatever. I'm just going to focus on my date and Harry will feel better soon."

 

***

 

"I don't get it, Holly. Why didn't he just tell me about the date?" Harry asks as he closes the door to his room. Astrid sighs into the speaker as Harry shuffles over to the window. "I wouldn't have gotten mad at him so why did he hide it from me for four days?"

"H, I think you're overreacting a little." Astrid yawns. "Maybe he just forgot to tell you." Harry pulls his blinds open a little when he notices Louis walking towards a red car. He sees Noah get out of his car to greet Louis before they briefly hug. He huffs and shuts them again, sitting down on his bed. "Harry?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm still here I was just thinking."

"Why are you so affected by this, babe? Why is this bothering you so much?" She asks, her question muffled as shuffling overlaps her voice.

"I'm not upset, I'm just confused." He defends himself while laying back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Yeah Louis and I just met this year but we clicked and we got close so I thought he would tell me about things like this."

"Are you sure that's why? There's no other reason?"

"Yeah, of course. What else could be the reason why?" Harry asks in confusion. Astrid sighs and turns over in her bed.

"Okay Harry."

 

***

 

"I'm going to kill you!" Louis shouts in between his laughter as he chases after Noah with his gun in his hand. The college student decided to take Louis to the huge arcade in the city that's famous for their laser tag game. This is their fourth time in the arena and Louis was about to pee himself from how hard he was laughing.

"You can't do that if you can't catch me." Noah calls back to him while ducking behind a haystack, his gun pointed up and pressed against his chest. His face was flushed from running and his lips were pulled into a wide smile.

"Watch out Noah." Louis warns while tiptoeing around a cutout of a person. "I may be small but I'm quick." He peeks behind a bin but doesn't see Noah so he moves along, quietly making his way to the haystacks.

Noah pressed his lips together to stop from laughing, steadying his breath so he doesn't give away his hiding spot. He wipes a bead of sweat away from his forehead and shifts to the side, peeking around the haystack. He scans the open area for any sign of him but Louis is nowhere to be seen.

"What the--"

He's cut off by the feeling of something pressed to his chest. "Got you." Louis says sweetly before pulling the trigger, an alarm sounding to announce Noah's defeat. "I told you to watch out."

"Fuck." Noah whines while tucking his gun back into its holster. "I didn't even hear you at all, how do you move so swiftly?" He asks as he follows Louis to the exit.

"It's a gift. I had to get around without being seen in high school when I wanted to skip class so it's normal for me now."

"Ohh, so I'm on a date with a bad boy?" Noah teases which earns him a wink from Louis in response.

"Maybe, maybe not."

Noah chuckles and helps Louis out of his vest, hanging it back up on the rack. He then unbuckles his own before pulling it off of himself, putting it next to Louis' vest. "Where do you want to go next?" He asks as they walk away towards the arcade entrance, his hand smoothly slipping into Louis'.

Louis bites down on his lip at the movement and squeezes Noah's hand gently. "We can try that big game they have. What is it called?"

"The massive connect four tournament they have?"

"Yes! That one." Louis grins widely and Noah can't help but smile back, Louis' happy mood contagious. As they walk towards the game at the back of the arcade, Noah takes a moment to study Louis' side profile. When he first saw him, it was when he broke into Noah's dorm and he never got a chance to really look at his features.

But now with Louis right by his side Noah's breath is taken away by how beautiful he is. His nose is small and cute which fits him perfectly and his lips are thin but pink. His hair was a golden brown that swept to the side. He really was so pretty and Noah was still shocked that Louis agreed to this date.

He honestly thought Louis was dating Harry, the other guy that was in his room that day. But as soon as he got wind that Harry actually had a girlfriend then Noah had to shoot his shot. And he's so glad that he did because now he gets to spend the night with this gorgeous guy that has an amazing personality. He really was so lucky.

"Noah, we need to talk."

Maybe he spoke too soon.

 

***

 

Harry huffed as he shoved his cold hands into his pockets. He was waiting outside the building for Louis to come back from his date. It was going on 11pm and he was concerned. The cold air was brutal outside right now but he's not moving anytime soon, not until Louis is back.

He kicked at a stone that was in front of him, watching it roll away. He tried calling Astrid three times but she didn't answer so Harry has that to worry about too after he's sure Louis is home safe. He sighs and looks up at the night sky, his eyes falling on a particularly bright star. It really was beautiful out and Louis would have loved to be here with him stargazing.

Suddenly, Harry sees headlights pop up in his line of vision and immediately jumps up, shuddering when the wind blows. The familiar red car from earlier pulls into the parking lot and Harry sniffles, walking closer to the vehicle.

In the car Louis lets out a sigh when he sees Harry's figure standing a few feet away. He runs a hand through his hair and presses his lips together as he thinks about what to do. "Is that Harry?" Noah asks as he squints to see better. Louis nods his head and unbuckles his seatbelt, shifting in the seat.

"We don't have to do it." Louis tells Noah while fiddling with his fingers. Noah smiles back at him and reaches across the console to  grasp Louis' hand.

"I was the one who suggested it so I'm okay with following through." Louis sighs again as he thinks back on the conversation they had in the arcade.

 

_"What do we need to talk about?"_

_Louis bites down on his lip and looks down at his hands that are on the table. "You're so sweet and I'm having so much fun with you but you deserve to know the truth." He starts to explain while lifting his gaze to meet Noah's confused eyes._

_"What truth?"_

_"It's nothing against you and honestly I wish I met you first because then I won't have to feel the way I do but I met Harry first and he makes me feel—"_

_"You like Harry? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"_

_Louis bites down on his lip and slowly nods his head. "But I thought Harry had a girlfriend?" Noah asks while furrowing his eyebrows, feeling even more confused than before. Louis sighs and nods his head, playing with the napkin in his hand._

_"He does which is why it sucks that I like him but you can't help how you feel. And I know I will never have a chance with him but there are times where I get a sliver of hope that he might be bisexual. Like today, he found out about the date and got upset but I can never know for sure."_

_"Right." Noah hums as he taps his fingers against the table, his leg shaking up and down. "Listen, I don't really know why I'm even suggesting this maybe I'm crazy or maybe I just want to find any way to be with you but..." Noah rubs a hand down his face. "Let's fake date. Just long enough to see if Harry truly has some feelings for you deep down."_

 

Louis was surprised when Noah brought it up because he never heard of anyone doing that in real life. He saw it happen in the movie Niall forced him to watch called ' _To All The Boys I've Loved Before_ ' that's on Netflix. It worked out for the girl in the end but this is real life and Louis has no idea where this is going but...

"Okay, let's do it."

Noah smiles before he gets out of the car, closing his door behind him. He nods at Harry who doesn't react as he walks to Louis' side, pulling his door open. Louis climbs out of the car with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his head bowed. Noah closes the door and grabs Louis by his waist when he tries to walk away.

"Wha–"

He's cut off by Noah's soft lips gently pressing against his. His eyes widen in surprise at the sudden kiss but eventually flutters shut as he responds by moving his lips against Noah's. His hands lift up to grasp the sides of his face, Noah's arm sliding around his waist. Harry is silent as he stares at the scene in front of him in shock. He's never seen Louis be around any guy let alone kiss one. He presses his lips together and clears his throat, raising his eyebrows.

The two men don't respond at first and continue to kiss until Harry clears his throat again but louder this time. Louis is the first to pull away and takes a deep breath to regain oxygen, his lips tingling. His eyes flicker to Harry who was staring him down. "I had fun tonight, Lou." Noah says with a smile as he bends down to peck Louis' cheek.

"I did too." He whispers just before Noah walks past Harry towards the front door, their eyes stuck in a heated stare. Harry was the first to look away as his gaze shifts back to Louis who was standing with his hands curled in front of him. Noah winks at Louis from behind Harry's back which makes the smaller man giggle.

"I think it's time we go inside." Harry says after a moment, his face unreadable. Louis purses his lips briefly before he nods, moving to walk past Harry but is stopped by a large hand. "Hey, blue, are we good?" Harry asks him while reaching his hand out to touch Louis' cheek. The older male quickly turns the other way, clearing his throat as he nods his head with a smile.

"Just peachy. Thanks for waiting up for me, I appreciate it." Louis tells him, patting his arm before he walks away. He swipes his card and pushes the door open, walking inside. If he had turned around to look back at Harry he would have seen the man standing there with a hurt expression.


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!!

Louis plopped himself down in front of Harry's dorm, folding his legs in a crisscross position. He tangled his hands together and placed them in his lap, waiting patiently for the door to open. He glances at the clock on the wall a few feet away before looking back at the door. Any minute now and Harry should be coming out to get to his first class.

The sophomore was avoiding Louis ever since the night of the kiss he witnessed three days ago. Whenever Louis would see him around campus, Harry would always find a way to prevent their paths from crossing. The smaller lad was tired of it and is going to force Harry to face him by camping out in front of his room.

Louis crosses his arms when he sees the doorknob turn but rolls his eyes when it's just Ronaldo. The German man furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Louis sitting in front of the door but shook his head. "I'm not touching this one." He mumbles to himself before stepping around Louis, stretching to close the door.

"Bye." Louis whispers and waves his hand as Ronaldo walks away with his sunglasses on. He turns his attention back to the door and taps his fingers against his knee. With one more glance at the clock Louis nods his head. Any minute now.

"Okay Astrid, I'll call you when I get back from class." Harry tells her as he opens the door to his room, stepping forward without noticing Louis sitting there. "I know and—fuck!" Harry shouts when he stumbles over Louis' body and falls forward, tumbling on top of the smaller man.

Louis groans at the new weight on top of him, his head stinging from the impact against the floor. Luckily the bunched up hood of his hoodie absorbed most of the hit but his head still started to pound. "What the fuck." Harry grunts as he lifts his head up, his hands pressed against the floor.

His eyes adjust to the closeness of their faces and he lets out a sigh when he realizes it was Louis he tripped over. Who else could it have been? "Louis I swear you're going to kill me one day." The junior couldn't think of anything to say back because he was too distracted by the lack of distance between his lips and Harry's. Just two more centimeters and they'd be touching.

Faint sounds of someone talking caught Harry's attention and reminded him that he was still on the phone with his girlfriend. Harry pushes himself up and off of Louis so he's sitting down on his bum before holding out a hand for his friend to grab. Louis takes it in his own hand and allows Harry to help him sit up, his free hand rubbing at the back of his head.

"Sorry babe, Louis was sitting outside my door and I didn't see him so I tripped over him and we both fell." Harry explains after bringing the phone back to his ear. "Yes I'll tell him you said hi, okay. I love you too." He hangs up the call and locks his phone, his eyes falling onto a smiling Louis.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't punch you."

"Because you care about me too much to hurt such a pretty face." Louis says sweetly while fluttering his eyelashes. Harry's lips twitch as he tries his hardest not to smile. He clears his throat and runs a hand through his hair.

"Seriously blue, why were you sitting outside my door?" He reaches his hand out to touch the side of Louis' head. "And is your head alright?" He adds on at the end, rubbing over the area that hit the ground.

Louis sniffles and nods, gently pushing Harry's hand away. "You were avoiding me and I didn't like it so." He shrugs. "Surprise, here I am." Harry chuckles and shakes his head, his hand moving up to ruffle Louis' hair.

"I keep forgetting that you're so weird." Harry stands up and dusts himself off before holding his hands out to Louis again. The psychology major grabs them and lifts himself up with Harry's help, shaking his leg to get some feeling back into it. "Let's walk and talk, I don't want to be late to class."

Louis follows Harry down the hall, his smaller legs working hard to catch up to him. "Why are you avoiding me?" Harry sighs and shakes his head, pressing the button to the elevator.

"Who said I'm avoiding you?"

"I'm not dumb Harry, I know that you are. And I know it's because of the kiss so stop fucking around and tell me what made you think it was okay to avoid me?" Louis snaps as he crosses his arms, Harry's eyebrows raising at his tone.

"Who knew you had such an attitude?" Harry muses as he steps off the elevator. Louis huffs loudly and punches the back of Harry's arm, the taller male jumping at the attack. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For being such a jerk!" Louis exclaims as he quickly walks past Harry. The younger of the two reaches out and grabs Louis by his arm, twirling him around so they're facing each other.

"Wait a second I'm the one who's mad here, not you."

"You're not the only one in the whole world allowed to get mad, Harold. And why are you even upset in the first place!? What did I do?"

"You know why I'm mad." Harry scoffs before starting to walk again, Louis following him as he tries to resist the urge to rip his hair out in frustration. Louis takes a deep breath and calmly explains, "Yes but why it made you mad is what I'm confused about."

Harry sighs heavily at Louis' statement while they walk out of the building. "I just don't fucking understand anything Harry, so please explain it to me." Harry stops walking which almost causes Louis to bump into him. The younger one turns around to look at Louis, his face unreadable.

"Want to know why I'm so angry, Louis? I don't like Noah at all, I think he's not worth your time and I think he's sketchy. I mean, you broke into his dorm for fucks sake and he wants to go on a date with you just a few days after? I dislike him and I think you deserve better but no, instead you're apparently dating him by the looks of that fucking kiss on Saturday. So there you go Louis, that's why I'm fucking mad!"

"So you think it's unusual for a person to want me? Is that what you're saying!?" Louis asks in a offended tone, his eyes mixed with anger and confusion.

"God, Louis no! I'm saying it's weird that he suddenly wants you when you broke into his dorm like a crazy person!"

"So now I'm crazy?"

Harry groans and rubs a hand down his face. "I'm not doing this right now, I'm already late to class. I'll talk to you later." He sighs and shakes his head, walking off without giving Louis a chance to respond. The psychology major huffs and crosses his arms, stomping his foot like a child. "You're so infuriating!" He screams out loud, only being heard by the trees.

 

***

 

"Wait so you're dating Noah?" Liam asks in confusion as he looks up from his textbook. They were in their dorm talking because Louis wanted someone to vent to after he came home from practice. Niall was too tired from the intense workout to even stay awake long enough to say goodnight to his boyfriend. Now the brunette was knocked out on Louis' bed while Liam became the latest victim of Louis' emotions.

"No Liam I already explained this to you, Noah and I are letting Harry believe that we're dating so he can realize his true feelings for me."

"Louis... he has a girlfriend."

"Yet he throws a tantrum like a little boy because he saw me kiss Noah on Saturday." He says in retaliation while leaning back in his chair, folding his hands on top of his stomach. Liam rolls his eyes and looks back down at his textbook, rereading the same line he can't seem to comprehend because of Louis.

"This is not going to end well, I'm telling you this now."

"We'll see about that." Louis mumbles while picking up his phone when it vibrates on top of his desk. He furrows his eyebrows when he sees it's a message from Harry, speak of the devil.

**mean curly cry baby** **(** ** _7:09pm_** **)**    
 **meet me outside.**

Louis sighs and pushes himself out of his chair, pushing it back in afterwards. "Where are you going?" Liam asks without looking up. Louis hums and grabs his jacket and his student ID, walking towards the door.

"Harry wants me to meet him outside." Louis explains as he slides his shoes on, pulling the door open. "If I'm not back in an hour then he's murdered me and you need to call the cops."

"Yeah sure, don't call the cops if you're gone more than an hour."

"Yes exac–no, Liam you're dumb." Louis frowns and shakes his head, not noticing the blank stare Liam was giving him. "Maybe you should go back to school."

"Louis I..." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Just go, I need to study and you're a distraction." Louis shrugs and walks away, the door closing behind him as he makes his way to the elevators. He tried not to panic the whole ride down or as he walked to the front entrance. He could get through this with minimal damage.

Harry was sitting on their usual bench when he got outside with his head tilted to the sky. Louis paused as he took a moment to admire the view in front of him. The last time he saw the man a few hours ago he had hair down to his shoulders. But the man sitting a few feet away from him had short hair that was messily styled. It took Louis' breath away.

"Harry?" He whispers so softly it surprised him that Harry heard him. The man's head turned as his eyes connected with Louis, a fire being ignited in the pit of his stomach. The fond smile that appeared on Harry was enough to make the smaller man scurry over to him.

"I'm sorry!" Louis whines as he throws himself at Harry. The biology major grunts at the sudden impact of another body on top of him before he finally wraps his arms around Louis. He chuckles when he feels his friend burrow his face into Harry's neck and rubs his back.

"No, I'm sorry. I was an asshole and I was mad for no reason. If you really like Noah then I'll support you and I'll be there for you to fuck him up if he ever breaks your heart."

Louis giggles and pulls away to rub at his eyes. "I'm still sorry, I was so mean to you and I didn't mean to–I love your hair cut by the way. Anyways I'm still so sorry." Harry laughs at Louis' attention span and pushes his face away, rolling his eyes fondly.

"It was impulsive, I was angry and when it happened I almost cried."

"I still like it." Louis hums and runs a hand through Harry's short hair, tilting his head to the side. "It suits you, does Astrid know about it yet?" Harry grimaces and shakes his head slowly.

"No, I'm not sure she'll be happy that I was so impulsive but she'll warm up to it eventually."

"Well," Louis smiles, "I really like it and I think you look really good." His blue eyes widen when he sees the faintest blush paint Harry's cheek as the taller man clears his throat.

"Anyway, I just called you out here because I wanted to apologize so I'm sorry, again."

"I'll forgive you if you forgive me." Louis teases while settling in the spot next to him. Harry chuckles and leans back against the bench, his head moving up to look at the sky.

"Deal."

And if Louis rested his head on Harry's shoulder as the curly haired lad grasped Louis' small hand in his while they stared at the stars, then no one had to know.

 

***

 

"Guys, look!" Louis screeches as he points to the bouncy castle in the middle of the square. The school was throwing a small festival for the people of the neighborhood as well as their students. They had games, food trucks, face painting, and a bouncy castle set up.

Noah raised his brows from his position next to Louis, their hands laced together. "Do you want to go in there?" He asks as he walks a few feet closer to it, Louis and Harry who was with them following along.

"I don't know if I should." Louis frowns, feeling conflicted. Harry chuckled and gently pushed Louis forward, making him disconnect his hand with Noah's.

"Go ahead blue, just remember to take your shoes off."

Louis squeals and nods his head before he takes off toward the bouncy castle, his shoes flying off. He quickly scrambles through the small opening and lifts himself up enough to start jumping. He lets out a happy scream as he bounces, waving at the two men watching him from outside.

"Take a picture of me!" Louis exclaims as he smiles widely, his face shining. Noah goes to take his phone out but Harry was already in the middle of taking multiple pictures, his face lit up in amusement.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Noah asks while glancing at Harry from the corner of his eyes, the curly haired man distracted by the video he was taking of a screaming Louis.

"Beautiful?" He murmurs to himself while bringing his phone down, swiping through the pictures. He smiles at the happy look on Louis' face and adds them to the album he created just for him. "Yeah, beautiful." He whispers as Noah watches him in interest, his views on Harry's feelings for Louis being solidified.


	9. 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!! I love you all so so much!!

 

Harry sighed as he lifts his basket off the elevator, pausing when his headphone gets tangled in the handle. "Astrid, hold on." He mumbles as he gently untangles the wire, pulling it away from the handle. "Okay sorry, how was your day beautiful?" He greets her while he walks to the laundry room that was down the hall of the basement.

He hears her turn over in bed, her yawn echoing in his ear. "I'm really tired, I woke up early to go to the interview for my residency at Methodist and then I had school afterwards so it was a busy day." She explains as Harry opens the door to the waiting room.

"How do you think you did with the interview?"  He questions, stopping in front of the vending machine. He digs into his pockets for coins while Astrid groans on the phone.

"I stuttered a lot and I kept blanking out because I was so nervous, they're definitely not going to allow me in."

"Don't say that babe, you're gonna be an amazing nurse and any hospital will be lucky to have you." He scolds her, typing in the number for the bag of Doritos he wants. He watches it fall before picking it up through the slot, tossing it inside his hamper.

"It's such a good hospital though, Harry."

"Listen," He starts as he lifts his basket again, resuming his path. "How about I go pick you up and you can spend the night here? We can relax and talk, just watch some movies and eat our hearts out. Does that sound good?" He asks her as he pulls the door open to the laundry room.

"Oh my god." Harry breathes before Astrid can even respond, his basket dropping to the ground. He jumped back away from the water that was coming towards him, his eyes falling on the culprit. "Oh my god, of course it was you." He groans as he shakes his head at Louis' position.

The smaller man was sitting on the ground in tears, a pout on his face as he stared back at Harry. The laundry room was flooded and even more water was coming from what Harry assumes is Louis' machine. "What is it?" Astrid's voice scares Harry as he forgets he was on the phone with her.

"Blue, what did you do?" Harry exclaims as he steps into the room, shuffling towards the crying boy. Louis sniffles and holds his arms up to Harry, the taller man grabbing his hands to help him up.

"I just tried to do laundry because Liam is out with Niall and I have no clean clothes but I'm so tired from practice that I think I might have did something wrong but didn't realize it because there's so much water coming out of my machine but I don't know what I did and I'm all wet and I can't stop crying and I'm sorry!" Louis wails while rubbing at his eyes.

Harry sighs and shakes his head, using his thumb to wipe away Louis' tears. "It's okay blue, I'll help you figure this out. But you need to go get the custodian right now." He orders while gently pushing the boy towards the door. Louis sniffles again before nodding his head, giving Harry a sad look.

"I'm sorry."

"Sh, it's okay dummy. Now go." He waves him away and Louis walks out the door. Harry runs a hand through his hair as he looks around the destroyed laundry room in disbelief. He walks to the machine and turns it off, rolling his eyes when he realizes Louis was panicking too much to think about turning the machine off. He sighs in relief when the water stops gushing out.

"Hello!?"

Harry jumps at the voice and immediately presses a hand to his ear. "Oh shit, sorry babe I was so distracted." He apologized while looking back at Louis' machine.

"What happened? Did I hear Louis' voice?" She asks while shuffling in her bed. Harry lets out a slight chuckle and nods his head even though she can't see him.

"Yeah, I came down to the basement to try and do laundry but instead I find a crying Louis who is soaking wet sitting in the middle of the flooded room. I told him to get the custodian so we can get him to clean this mess up while I go take care of Louis. He's such a klutz, I always have to keep an eye on him to make sure he's okay. Stupid idiot." Harry says with fondness as he smiles small.

"Oh." She replies softly and Harry raises his brows at her reply. "Listen, I have to go because I forgot I have this big test tomorrow. I'll call you later so we can find a day to meet up and talk."

"Talk? Talk about what?"

"Nothing in particular, just talk about things. About you and Louis."

Harry frowns and he places his hand on the washer. "About me and Louis? What about us?" A mixture of confusion and anger fills him as he runs a hand through his hair.

"It's nothing, okay? We'll talk soon."

"What about Louis is the reason we have to talk? He didn't fucking do anything."

His frown deepens when he hears Astrid's dry chuckle. "I didn't even fucking accuse him of anything and you're already defending him. Bye Harry, I'll call you tonight."

He tries not to throw his phone when she hangs up and takes a deep breath instead. He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, breathing out slowly. "Harry?" The man turns around at the soft whisper and sees Louis standing there with worried eyes. He smiles sluggishly and shakes his head.

"Don't worry about it, okay? Did you get the custodian?"

Louis nods and watches as Harry walks back over to him. "Okay, we don't have to be here while he cleans. I'll be sure to send him a large gift basket as a thank you for cleaning up what you did. Let's get you cleaned up." Harry mumbles while lifting up his hamper with one arm, grabbing Louis' wrist with the other. "We're gonna hang out in my dorm tonight."

 

***

 

"Here, you can wear this." Harry tells him while tossing his shirt a Louis. The smaller man was standing in nothing but Harry's boxers, fresh out the shower. All his clothes were in the laundry room Harry ran over to at the other housing center while Louis was showering so he had to borrow some from his friend.

Louis pulls the shirt over his head as Harry rummages for shorts or sweats that may fit his small frame. Louis giggles when he sees that Harry's shirt goes down to the middle of his thighs. "Uhm Harry, I don't think I even need bottoms." Louis tells him softly.

Harry looks over his shoulder and pauses when he sees Louis, a small noise slipping out of his mouth in surprise. Louis blushes and hides his face in his hands, the look on Harry's face making him nervous. "Oh, y-yeah you're fine." Harry clears his throat. "Uhm, do you want to order the pizza while I run to the laundry room to get your clothes?"

Louis nods his head as he bites down on his lip, shuffling towards Harry's bed. "Okay." He murmurs while climbing onto it, crawling towards the corner of the bed. He grabs his phone from where it laid on Harry's pillow as the man puts his jacket back on.

"I'll be back in five minutes."

"Bye..." He waves at Harry who chuckles before walking out the room. He unlocks his phone and goes onto the website since Mortibello's phones have been down recently. Just as he finished the order, he got a text message from someone. To his surprise it was Astrid. His eyes widen and he swallows the lump in his throat before clicking on it.

**Astrid (** **_6:35pm_ ** **)**   
**hey I don't know if Harry told you anything but he's not in a good mood so I'd really, really appreciate if you could help cheer him up? I just want to make sure he's happy, thank you Lou.**

He frowns and places his phone down after replying, his eyebrows furrowed. Harry was in a bad mood? It didn't seem like it, he's actually calmer than usual but maybe that's just a sign. Before he could actually dwell on it any further, the door to Harry's dorm opened to reveal the man carrying a hamper.

"Hey, I'm back. Did you order yet?" Harry asks with a smile as he places the hamper down by the bathroom door. Louis nods his head with a closed smile, fiddling with his phone. Harry raised his brows and approached the bed, climbing on top of it. He shifts closer to Louis and examines his ocean blue eyes.

"Astrid talked to you, didn't she?"

"Wha—no! She didn't talk to me—no, nope." Louis shakes his head as he presses his thumbs together. Harry gives him a look before pointing at Louis' hands.

"Pressed thumbs, cutting yourself off before continuing, and gnawing on your lip. All signs that you're lying." Louis releases his lip from where it was caught between his teeth, his eyes widening in shock.

"She told you then? She told you that we got into an argument over you?"

"What?" Louis breathes, his heart dropping at the new information. They were arguing because of him? What did he do?

"She didn't tell you that?" Harry asks in confusion, tilting his head to the side. "What did she tell you?" Louis gulps as he tries to regain his voice, blinking rapidly while trying to comprehend Harry's question.

"She j-just told me that you weren't in a good mood and she asked if I c-could help you cheer up." Louis stutters out as he covers his cheeks, his mind turning to mush. "You fought because of m-me?"

Harry's eyes soften and he reaches out to Louis, brushing hair away from his face. "It wasn't a big fight, we just disagreed on something and she decided not to come over tonight. You didn't do anything wrong at all, she's just feeling some type of way because it's been a month since I last saw her."

"A month, wow. I didn't even know it's been that long." Louis whispers while rubbing at his eyes, feeling tired from the rush of the day. Harry chuckles and pulls Louis' hands away from his eyes, grasping them firmly.

"You're tired and the pizza won't be here for an hour so why don't you take a quick nap and I'll wake you up when the pizza is here, okay?"

"But—"

"Nope, we'll talk more after your nap. Now sleep." Harry orders while grabbing Louis' ankles, pulling on them until Louis' back touched the bed. The smaller man giggled and settled into Harry's fluffy sheets, his eyes immediately slipping shut. Harry pulls the blanket over Louis, taking a seat at the empty space beside him.

"Sweet dreams."

 

***

 

Harry was waiting outside for the pizza, hands in his pocket as he shivered. The air was getting colder as the months passed and Harry both loved and hated it. He's always said he'd rather be cold than hot but when he's in this type of weather, it feels like he's warm because the body goes numb.

He sniffles and buries his nose into his scarf, his eyes on the tree swaying a few feet away from him. "Harry?" The biology major turns his head when he hears his name and is mildly surprised to see Noah standing by the entrance with another guy he doesn't recognize. He clears his throat and lifts his head up, nodding at him.

"Hey." He greets as the junior walks closer to him, the other guy hanging back. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Louis? I keep trying to call him but he's not picking up." He asks while looking down at his phone briefly. "We're supposed to meet up tomorrow for a date but I wanted to make sure we were still on for it."

Harry lip twitches as he stares back at him, faking a smile after a moment. "Louis is with me. He's sleeping in my bed because he's exhausted from everything that happened today. When he wakes up I'll remind him to get back to you about the date." He glances back at the mystery guy who was looking at the sky.

Noah raises his brows and taps his fingers against his thigh. "Alright then." He says slowly, seeing the way Harry's eyes harden. He'll be sure to let Louis know of this display of jealousy. "Take care of my boy, alright? And next time send him to my room, I'll take care of him." Noah says with a smirk when he sees Harry fists curl. Louis will be so happy when he hears about this.

"Will do." Harry replies through gritted teeth, watching as Noah walks away. He goes back to the guy and they both walk into the building, the doors closing behind him. Harry shuffles over to the door and peeks inside to watch them. His eyes widen when he sees Noah places a kiss on the guy's cheek, his arm slipping around his shoulders. Is Noah cheating on Louis?

 

***

 

"Wake up, Lou." Harry whispers as he leans over the boy, his hand on his shoulder. "Blue, you gotta get up. The pizza is here." He shakes his small frame until Louis stirs, groaning as he stretches his arms up.

"What... what is it?" Louis mumbles as he rubs at his eyes. Harry grins and watches him in interest, Louis' raspy voice new to him. "Mm, Harry?"

"Yeah blue, it's me. The pizza is here." He whispers again as he pulls the blanket down when Louis tries to pull it up again. "Come on, Mr. Sleepyhead, you need to eat."

Louis groans and crinkles his nose, coughing into his elbow. "Can I eat on your bed?" Louis asks quietly while pushing himself up. Harry chuckles and grabs the plate of pizza he placed on his desk by the bed.

"Of course, here." He hands the plate to Louis who immediately picks up one slice, biting into the cheesy goodness.

"Mm." He moans, his eyes slipping shut. "Damn, was it always this good or am I just hungry?" He thinks out loud, flickering his eyes back open. He's surprised when he's met with an unknown expression on Harry's face, his lip trapped between his teeth.

"You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah—yeah, I'm fine." Harry waves him off and grabs his own plate, settling in the spot next to Louis. "So uhm, I saw Noah." He starts off as he bites the end of his pizza. "He just wanted to know if you were okay because he—" Harry pauses as he looks at Louis, his soft eyelashes fluttering as he blinks innocently. "He just wanted to know where you were, that's all."

"Oh." Louis shrugs and adverts his gaze, feeling flush under Harry's stare. "I'll call him tomorrow and see what he wanted." Louis explains while biting into his pizza again.

"Hey, you wanna run errands with me tomorrow? And after that we can go to the movies because I want to see the new movie that just came out." Harry blurts out, unsure of why he's doing what he's doing. All he knows is that he doesn't want Louis going out with Noah tomorrow.

"Oh yeah!" Louis agrees excitedly, his head going up and down in a nod. "Of course!"

"No, never mind you're gonna be annoying." Harry teases as he takes another bite of his pizza, grunting at the slap he receives a second later. "I was joking!" He moans in pain, rubbing his arm as Louis huffs.

"You deserve it, you jerk."

 

***

 

"Hey, where have you been all day?" Noah asks Louis through the phone as the smaller man settled into bed. He just got back from the movies with Harry and he's so tired.

"I was with Harry all day. We ran some errands after class and then went to the movies." Louis yawns as he rubs his eyes, his head resting on the pillow.

"Oh, I didn't know that. I told Harry to tell you to call me because I wanted to go on one of our dates."

"Hm? Harry didn't mention anything about that." Louis murmurs as he closes his eyes, pulling his blanket up. "He must have forgot."

"Yeah." Noah says softly, the reason for Harry's actions different in his mind. "Maybe."

"How are you and your new boy?" Louis asks after a moment, referring to Mathias, Noah's new boy that he's been talking to for a week or so.

"We're good, it's getting hard to keep it hidden from Harry because we all live in the same building. Once me and Mathias get together officially, the fake dating has to end."

"Oh yeah, totally I get it. I'm just glad Mathias is okay with it right now."

"He gets it, I guess. But we're not dating officially so he can't really get super pissed at me for helping a friend out. Plus we haven't done anything besides kiss occasionally in front of Harry."

"Yeah that's true." Louis sighs as he curls up. "I wish you the best of luck in what I hope is a new relationship. I guess Harry doesn't have any feelings for me because we've been fake dating for a month and he's barely reacted."

"I don't think that's true."

"What do you mean?"

"I see how jealous Harry gets. Maybe you don't but he acts like a jealous boyfriend towards you when I'm around."

"Oh," Louis frowns. "I didn't know that."

"He likes you, trust me."


	10. 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please vote and comment!

 

"Hey beautiful, how are you?" Harry greets his girlfriend through the phone as he settles into his bed. He has a two hour gap in between his two classes because the one that's usually between them got cancelled.

"Tired." She yawns and Harry could hear her shuffle. "I just got done a 14 hour shift." She explains while Harry picks at the skin around his nails.

"How was it? I know it's only your third week at the hospital."

"It's been good, I'm meeting a lot of new people and it's been easy to adjust."

"That's great." Harry grins and looks up at his ceiling as he listens to her giggle. "I'm so glad you're getting on well, I told you there was nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, yeah you were right shut up." They both laugh as Harry adjusts the phone. "What did you do today, Hazza?"

"I just went to class and now I'm waiting cause my class during this time got cancelled. I also took Louis to his internship this morning." He explains while putting his phone on speaker, folding his hands onto his stomach. "He was so quiet this morning, it was weird. Maybe it was because he was late but right before he left my car, he turned and smiled at me."

"He smiled at you?" Astrid asks in confusion. "What's so special about that to make it stick with you? He's smiled at you before."

"Yeah but it was different this morning." Harry hums as he closes his eyes. "It was softer and more gentle. The way his lips curled was different, it was.." Harry pauses as he tries to think of the word to use.

"Beautiful?" Astrid questions.

Harry took a moment to think, his eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah.. beautiful." He whispers as he thinks back on it. "It was almost blinding."

"Harry." Astrid sighs heavily. "We need to talk."

 

***

 

Harry was sitting in his car waiting for Astrid to come out of her dorm. His girlfriend requested that Harry come to Kingsman so they can see each other and talk. The sophomore wasn't looking forward to the talk because he has no idea where it's going to lead.

He lets out a sigh and taps his fingers against the steering wheel. He glances at the dashboard to see the time and realizes Louis needed to be picked up from his internship soon. The older male lost the keys to his car and ordered a new one from the company but it won't come for a few more days.

Harry gave him the scolding of a lifetime but agreed to drive him to and from his internship since it was important. He'll have to call him to let him know he'll be a little late since he's with Astrid. Harry sighs again and looks out the window, making a noise when he finally sees his girlfriend walking towards his car.

The passenger door opens and a second later, her petite frame is filling the seat. "Hey babe." He says as he leans across the console, pressing a kiss to her lips. She smiles small when he pulls away and looks down at her hands.

"You look stressed." Harry comments as he shifts in his seat to face her. She cracks another tiny smile and lifts her head to look at him. "What's on your mind, Holly?"

She purses her lips and Harry watches her nervously, a bad feeling swelling in the pit of his stomach. "Harry, you know I love you with all my heart. We've been together for almost three years now and you'll always be someone so special to me." She starts while reaching across to grab his hand. He watches her in confusion, small puzzle pieces clicking together in his mind.

"I don't want you to think you did anything wrong because you didn't, not at all. We're just at two different places in life right now. It's not working like we thought and it's no one's fault—"

"Wait, wait, wait." Harry holds a hand up as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Astrid, are you breaking up with me?" He asks, his voice cracking at the end at the look on her face. She gulps and bites down on her lip, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly as she blinked.

"Harry, I love you. You know I love you so much—"

"Just answer the question, Astrid." Harry croaks as he feels his stomach twist. "Just tell me the fucking truth."

"Yes." She whispers while looking down at her lap, her heart dropping when Harry removes his hand from her grasp. "It's just not working out anymore and we're not on the same wavelength anymore, things changed. People change and it's okay."

"Don't do this. We can make this work!"

"No," She sniffles and rubs her nose, "We can't Harry. What's done is done and we can't fix what already broke. Right now is not our time." She whispers while keeping her gaze down.

"You're wrong, baby. We can work past this—just please... don't do this."

"I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet as she finally looked up, her heart breaking into pieces when she saw the tears in the corner of his eyes. "I love you but it's over. I'm breaking up with you, Harry."

 

***

 

Harry was silent as he stared out the windshield of his car. His hands were wrapped so tightly around the steering wheel that his knuckles were white. He was outside the school Louis was interning at and he was waiting for his friend to come out. The incident with Astrid was still weighing heavy on his shoulders as he tried to make sense of the situation.

He doesn't understand what she meant by them being on different wavelengths. He thought everything was fine, he thought they were happy. He sighs and presses his hands into his eyes until he saw the different shapes dance in the blackness. He's so confused and so heartbroken. Harry runs a hand through his hair as he lets out a frustrated groan.

"Where is Louis?" He mumbles to himself before finally deciding to go check on the small man. He gets out of his car and shuts the door afterwards. He locks the car before walking into the school, looking around the area. The walls were bright blue with beautiful drawings depicted of a diverse group of kids.

He looked into the classrooms, glancing around for Louis. When he doesn't see the small man he moves on, looking into the next room. "Louis?" He calls out softly into an empty classroom but is met with nothing but silence. He frowns and walks further down, seeing a few teachers in their classrooms. It wasn't until he passed the bathroom when he heard a small sniffle.

He frowns and stops in front of the door, listening for another sound. It's silent for a few seconds and Harry was about to walk away when he hears another sniffle followed by a sob. He pushes the door open and steps inside, looking for the source of the crying. He's genuinely surprised when he sees Louis curled up in the corner of the bathroom, crying into his knees.

"Blue? What happened?!" Harry exclaimed as he rushes to his friend, dropping to his knees in front of you. "Why are you crying, did someone hurt you?" He questions while gently lifting Louis' head, blue meeting green.

"Harry? What a-are you doing here?" Louis asks in between a sob as he rubs furiously at his eyes. "I thought you'd still be with Astrid talking about what happened."

"What do you mean about what happened?"

"You guys broke up right?" Louis sniffles as he blinks away more tears, his eyes bloodshot. "Astrid called me crying and told me what happened so I thought you'd still be there."

"Oh yeah, we broke up..." Harry nods slowly as he sits down in front of Louis, his hands grasping Louis' wrists. "I'll talk more about it later but why are you crying?"

"Because you and Astrid broke up."

"You're crying because we broke up?" Harry asks in confusion, moving his thumb in small circles on Louis' wrists to try and calm him down. "Louis I'm—what does that mean?"

"I'm sad because you're hurting." Louis whimpers while curling his hands into fists. "I'm crying because I know you won't, not now. I'm hurting because you're hurting inside and... and..." Louis cuts himself off as he sobs again, rubbing his nose.

Harry watches Louis in shock, his heart skipping a beat at the new information. It feels like his stomach is twisting into knots as he feels his own tears build up in the corners of his eyes. He's never had someone cry for him or feel what he felt through empathy. But seeing Louis sitting in front of him crying because Harry was heartbroken, he felt bad, but he felt blessed.

"Oh Louis." Harry breathes and envelops the smaller man into a hug, his arms tightening around his petite frame when he starts to shake. Louis buries his face into Harry's neck and cries unashamed. He lets his own tears flow out as the severity of the situation starts to hit him.

He just lost his girlfriend of three years but sitting in the bathroom next to the broken stall, Harry felt like he could be okay in the end. They sit there for awhile in each other's arms, their souls entwining as a new door to their relationship opens up.

 

***

 

Liam unlocked the door to his dorm, yawning into his hand as he walked in. As soon as he's finished blinking away stray tears, he freezes at the sight in front of him. Louis was curled up in his bed with Harry laying next to him. Louis had his face pressed into Harry's chest as the younger one had his arm draped over Louis' waist.

They were sleeping peacefully and Liam couldn't help but smile at the sight. He takes his phone out and opens up his camera, taking a picture of the two men sleeping together.

"So cute."


	11. 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!!

 

Louis taps on the door before slowly opening it, peeking his head inside. The room was dark expect for a sliver of moonlight that peeked through the bottom of the shades. He glances at Ronaldo's bed and sees that the German lad was fast asleep.

He shuffles inside and closes the door behind him, reminding himself to reprimand Harry about leaving his dorm door open. He locks it before slowly tiptoeing to the other bed in the room that holds a sleeping body. When he gets to Harry's bedside, he puts both his hands on the bed before pulling himself up.

Once he's on top of the mattress, he crawls over Harry's body to get to the empty gap between his body and the wall. Harry's face comes into his view the closer he gets and Louis takes a moment to admire him. His eyes were closed but his long eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks. His lips were slightly chapped from the air in the dorm but still looked so inviting.

His face was peaceful as it was partially hidden in the crook of his arm. He was breathing evenly, his chest rising and falling slowly. He truly was so beautiful. Louis giggles and covered his cheeks when he feels them heat up just by looking at him sleep. "Why are you assaulting me with your eyes?" Harry suddenly croaks, taking Louis by surprise who screams.

"Fuck, it's too early for you to be this loud." The younger male moans while slowly opening his green eyes. Louis is breathless by the sight of how soft they look in the early morning. His mouth dries when he sees the little golden flecks hidden in the emerald swirls. Shit, Harry is like a Greek God.

"Hi." Louis whispers as he waves at his friend, watching him rub his eyes. "Sorry to bother you so early." Harry coughs into his elbow and pushes himself up into a sitting position. He sniffs and turns his head to the side to look at his clock, his eyes widening when he sees the time.

"Blue! What the hell are you doing in my room at four in the morning!?" Harry whisper-yells as he whips his head back around to look at his friend. Louis smiles sheepishly and fiddles with his shirt nervously.

"I need to borrow something." He softly replies while twisting his fingers together. "I don't know who else to ask so I came here." He explains while Harry runs a hand through his hair.

"Dear lord, give me the strength to get past this." Harry whispers to the ceiling, his eyes closed as he tries to stop his head from pounding. "Give me the strength to not dropkick Louis William Tomlinson."

Louis giggles and bites his knuckle, his cheeks warming in another blush. "That's me! That's me!" He murmurs in excitement as Harry opens his eyes again. They fall onto a smiling Louis and can't help but smile back at him, his happiness infectious.

"Have you always smiled like this?" Harry asks softly as he reaches a hand out, his thumb pressing against the corner of his smile. "Has it always been this beautiful?"

Louis' eyes widen and his cheeks get even hotter to the point he's sure he looks like a tomato. "You think I'm beautiful?" Louis breathes as his smile widens. Harry furrows his eyebrows and drops his hand, his eyes still trained on the blinding light that is Louis' smile.

"I said your smile is beau—anyway, why are you here again?"

Louis perks up at the reminder of why he's here and he claps his hands together. "I need chloroform!" He says happily while dropping his hands onto his lap again. Harry stares at him blankly but his eyes were swirling with a mixture of annoyance and confusion.

"You need chloroform at... four in the morning?"

"Yes, that's what I said."

"Chloroform?"

"Yes."

"At four in the morning?"

"Yes, I already confirmed that twice now. I need chloroform, do you have it?"

"Get out."

"What! Why?!" Louis whines, pulling at Harry's shoulder when the man tries to lay back down. Harry groans and swats at Louis' hands, shoving his friend away. "Haaaaaarry!" He wails beforethrowing himself on top of the man.

"Oof—you're trying to kill me!" Harry grunts while trying to push Louis off of him. "Ronaldo is sleeping so shut up."

"That kid can sleep through a tornado." Louis retorts while ripping the pillow off of Harry's head when he tries to hide underneath it. He was straddling Harry's body with the blanket separating them, their arms flailing as they fought each other. "I need chloroform!"

"I don't have any, you psycho!" Harry exclaims while squirming under Louis, tossing the boy into the empty space next to him. "No one has chloroform and they definitely don't have it at four in the morning." He huffs and pushes Louis' face away when it gets closer to him again.

"Ugh Harry." Louis groans in annoyance, wiggling until he was under Harry's blanket. "You're no help, I needed one thing and you don't even have it. Useless." He huffs and burrows deeper into the sheets, his face hidden in Harry's pillow.

The biology major lifts his eyebrows when he sees Louis' new position. "What are you doing, blue?" He asks while using a finger to poke at his side. Louis squeaks and slaps Harry's hand away when it came back for seconds.

"Stop! I'm trying to sleep."

"This isn't your room, you idiot."

"Well I don't care, I'm tired and you don't have what I need." Louis says petulantly while curling into a ball. Harry chuckles and turns onto his side so he's facing Louis' body. He moves his hand to pull a corner of the blanket down so he can see Louis' bright blue eyes.

"I don't have it because I'm a sane person who doesn't keep hazardous chemicals in their dorm."

"Hmph." Louis scrunches his nose when Harry taps it with his pointer finger. "I had some but I ran out."

"Again, I said sane person."

"I'm not crazy." Louis scowls while trying to bite at Harry's finger when it traces his jawline. Harry grins and pushes his finger into Louis' cheek, watching his face twist up in annoyance.

"You're definitely crazy but that's why we're friends. It's what I love about you."

A smile breaks out onto Louis' face and he shoves his head into Harry's chest, letting out a squeal. "You're so nice!" His scream is muffled by Harry's bare chest and he feels the rumble of Harry's resounding laugh.

"You're so loud, shut up it's early." Harry complains as he tries to get more of the blanket for his exposed body. Louis huffs and yanks the blanket back, scooting closer to Harry before he repositions it on top of them evenly.

Harry settles into his bed, his arm slipping under his pillow. It gets silent as they both calm down from their prior excitement. "I'm sleepy." Louis says after a few minutes as he stares at Harry's closed eyes. The younger male sighs and blindly reaches out to cover Louis' mouth.

"Sleep blue. I have an early class at 7."

Louis tries not to smile as he places his own hand on top of Harry's. He pulls Harry's hand away from his mouth and holds it close to his chest. He laces their fingers together but Harry does nothing to change it so Louis just holds on tighter. After a second Louis feels his eyes get heavy.

He slowly closes them as exhaustion starts to take over his senses. He was on the brink of sleeping when he hears Harry whisper. "Why did you need chloroform, blue?" Louis hears himself let out a tired giggle as Harry squeezes his hand.

"I wanted to make the vending machine packer pass out so I can take the pop tarts."

"I'm going to admit you into a mental asylum, you freak."

 

***

 

Louis was walking with Noah through the square. "I think we should come up with a breakup because Harry and Astrid just broke up so he needs me now the most. He gets all weird when you're around and I don't need him pushing me away when he's heartbroken." Louis explains while digging in his bag for his headphones.

"I was going to ask if we could end it as well because tonight I'm gonna ask Mathias to be my boyfriend." Noah says proudly as he smiles. Louis lifts his head up quickly and smiles back at him.

"Oh my god Noah, that's great!" He shouts happily while throwing himself at the taller male. Noah chuckles and wraps his arms around Louis, pulling his small frame closer to him. "I wish you guys nothing but happiness." He whispers softly.

"Thank you Lou." Noah murmurs back, opening his eyes when Louis starts to pull away. He pauses when he sees Harry walking over to them and quickly yanks Louis back to him, cupping his cheeks.

"Harry is coming, this will be the last time we can kiss so make it worthwhile." Noah explains quickly before he connects their lips in a kiss. Louis closes his eyes and kisses back as their lips move together smoothly, his arms moving up to wrap around Noah's neck.

Louis had to admit that he got lost in the kiss, his tongue sliding along Noah's lip. Their tongues touch and Louis feels Noah cup the back of his head. "Uhm, excuse me." Harry clears his throat, feeling uncomfortable at the sight of them kissing. It doesn't sit well in his stomach.

Louis slowly pulls away, panting softly as he flutters his eyes open. Noah peppers a few more kisses onto his soft lips, smiles on their faces. "I'll see you later babe." He says loud enough for Harry to hear, kissing him one more time. He nods at Harry who doesn't react before walking away towards the Rydal building.

Harry watches as Louis turns around to face him, his lips pink and plump from the kiss. His cheeks were red and he avoided Harry's eyes. "Hey." Harry greets quietly while dragging his feet forward to get closer to him. "Are you busy tonight?"

Louis shakes his head and bites down on his lip, his head tilting up to look at him. "No, I'm done with my internship by five. Do you need something?" He asks softly, leaning into Harry's hand when it touches his cheek.

"Yeah, I want to go out to drink tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

"Just the two of us?" He questions while brushing his hair away from his eye when it pokes it. Harry smiles and tucks some of his hair back for him, nodding his head.

"Yeah, is that okay?"

"Of course." Louis grins and nods his eagerly. "Pick me up at nine!"


	12. 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so quick note, some people are getting annoyed with Harry and how he's not realizing his feelings for Louis. But please be aware that he was in a relationship with Astrid, a girl, for almost three years. He doesn't even realize what he's feeling for Louis because he's never felt that way towards a guy and is brushing it off as friendly feelings since he still loves Astrid. Just a quick PSA so I could clear things up but I hope you all like this chapter, please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Leave kudos and comment!!

 

Louis was smiling at himself in the mirror as he fixed his hair. He kept thinking about tonight and how in approximately five minutes, he would be going out to drink with Harry. He was genuinely surprised when the man asked him but then excitement took over almost immediately. He hopes tonight is fun for him because he knows Harry has been feeling down.

"It's just the two of you?" Liam asks from where he lays between Niall's legs. They were relaxing on Liam's bed while Louis was running around getting ready. They found it amusing how energetic the small male was and it quickly became their favorite thing to do. They call it Louis-watching and it's an intense sport.

"Yeah." Louis replies after a moment as he sweeps his fringe to the side, rubbing his lips together. "Just me and Harry. Harry and I. Just us, the two of us." Liam presses his lips into a line as he tries not to laugh at Louis who keeps repeating himself in different ways.

"Well have fun and be safe." Niall pipes in as he looks away from his phone. He smiles at his friend who grinned back at him when he turned around. "We all know Harry has been feeling shitty since the breakup so it's your job to make him the happiest man alive tonight."

"That's easy!" He exclaims happily while skipping into the room, sitting down on his bed. "I'll make this the best night of his life." He smiles proudly while crossing his arms over his chest, kicking his legs back and forth. "Get him drunk and laughing, that'll be the plan."

Louis was interrupted by two knocks on the door and he lets out a squeal. "That's him! Bye guys, I'll be back later." He waves at them before jumping off his bed, shuffling to the door. He swings it open to reveal a smiling Harry. He was in blue jeans, a green top that matched his eyes, and he had on white sneakers. His hair was swept up and messily styled which made him look delectable.

"Hey, let's go." Louis says quickly while grabbing Harry's hand. He tugs the man along with him as he walked away, barely giving Harry time to wave at his other two friends before the door closes. He chuckles as he follows after Louis, easily catching up to him so they were walking side by side.

"What's the rush?"

"No rush, just super excited to drink."

Harry laughs loudly. "Okay alcoholic, when was the last time you even drank?"

"Two years ago."

"Alright then." Harry squeezes Louis hand that the smaller man didn't know he was still holding. "You're taking it easy tonight, I gotta get you home safe."

"I'm safe wherever you are."

It was unexpected but much appreciated as Harry's lips twitched into a smile. He didn't reply as they walked out of the elevator but those five words replayed in his head as a warm unknown feeling filled him. Why does Louis make him feel this way?

 

***

 

"What do you want to drink?" Harry shouts over the music as he leans in closer to hear Louis.

"Uhm, vodka on the rocks!" Louis replies back into Harry's ear, the man nodding in response. "I'll be right back." Harry tells him, squeezing his arm before he walks away. He slips through the crowd to get to the bar, pushing past a couple making out in the middle of the room.

"What can I get for you?" The bartender asks as he wipes down his workspace.

"One vodka on the rocks and one black anaconda." He orders while taking his wallet out. He glances behind him to see Louis still sitting where he left him, his eyes trained on his phone. He turns back around and pulls out enough to cover the two drinks. He slides the money to the guy when he comes back with his drinks, picking them up afterwards.

"Thanks." He says with a nod before walking away. He wiggles his way through the crowd again until Louis comes into view. But this time when his eyes fall onto his small frame, he noticed another presence at the table.

"So are you here alone?" He hears the guy asks Louis who looked confused.

"I'm sorry I can't hear you, it's too loud." Louis tells him. The guy bends to get lower, his face getting closer to Louis.

"I asked if you're here al—"

"Hey man, he's got a boyfriend so it'll be smart if you just leave." Harry cuts him off as he approaches the table, placing the drinks down. Louis shifts his gaze to Harry and smiles widely at him, perking up in his seat. The guy straightens up and looks up at Harry, his face twisted up.

"I was just talking to him, nothing wrong about that."

"Yeah well talking time is over, leave or I'll make you." Harry threaten as he looks the guy up and down, sizing him up. Harry can take him down, it'll take a couple punches but he can knock this guy out if he doesn't leave Louis alone. The guy purses his lips as he stares Harry down, the curly haired lad staring back at him.

"Fine." He finally says after a moment, barely giving Louis a glance as he walks away. Harry rolls his eyes and shakes his head before he turns his attention back to Louis who was already drinking his beverage.

"Does this happen to you a lot?" Harry asks as he retakes his seat next to Louis, picking up his own drink. Louis giggles and nods his head, his hair falling into his eyes but he was too busy grasping his cup to care.

"Yeah, people think I'm easy just because I'm small with a fat ass." Louis says bluntly, his eyes watching Harry carefully when his large hand comes toward him. Harry gently pushes his fringe back, watching the way Louis' eyes slip shut.

"Anybody gives you trouble and I'll be there for you." Harry murmurs, placing his hand down on the table as he brings his drink back up to his mouth. Louis hides his grin behind his cup as he drinks, his face scrunching at the taste. It's only half an hour into the night and he's already buzzing with happiness.

 

***

 

Louis thinks he's drunk. Well, he doesn't  _think_  he is because he's pretty fucking  _sure_  he's drunk. The club was loud because of the music that was blaring. The lights were flickering into different colors that kind of blurred his sight. It was getting warm and he was wearing a jacket. He huffs and pulls at his sleeves, trying to take it off of him.

Harry was sitting next to him, his eyes unfocused and glazed as he looked at the salt packet on the table. The older lad knew Harry was drunker than he was, he could tell by the subtle swaying of his body. "Harry help." Louis whines when his hand gets stuck in the inside pocket of his jacket. Harry blinks slowly and turns his head, laugher falling from his pink lips at Louis' position.

"What did you do?" He mumbles while pulling at Louis' jacket until the man's hand was freed. "How did you—did you get stuck?" Harry asks in confusion, blinking when the room spins a little.

"It attacked me." Louis explained while rubbing his nose, sneezing a second later. "Bless me." He demands while opening up his arms. Harry chuckles and waves his hand around Louis' face, doing weird movements with his fingers.

"There you're blessed." Harry drawls while leaning back into the booth, his eyes falling shut. "Is it just me or is the room getting smaller?" He wheezes while running a hand through his hair.

"It's just you." Louis hums. his head dropping onto Harry's shoulder. "It's all in your head, it's okay Hazza. Calm down." He gently pats Harry's thigh as the younger male rests his head on top of Louis'.

"Hazza..." Harry sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Astrid calls me Hazza. Did you know that?" Louis lifts his head at the mention of Harry's ex-girlfriend, his mouth drying. "It was her nickname for me. I called her Holly." He explains while opening his eyes. "Why did she break up with me, blue?"

Louis flinches at the voice crack he hears, his stomach twisting at the question. "I don't understand it, Louis. I thought we were okay, why would she just suddenly break up with me after three fucking years?" His hand slams down onto the table and Louis jumps at the sound.

"I think it's time we go home." Louis mumbles, wanting to talk about this in the safety and privacy of their dorms. "Let's talk in your dorm room, Harry." He tells him while moving to stand up. Harry sighs and rubs his eyes, nodding his head in agreement.

He turns to the side and stands up, holding onto the booth when he sways dangerously. "Yeah, my room. Talk there, Ronaldo is with Rebecca." Harry murmurs to himself, holding his hand out for Louis'.

Louis takes his hand and allows Harry to help him get out of the booth. He groans when he realizes he has to put his jacket back on. "Help me?" He asks while holding his jacket out. Harry laughs quietly and holds it up for him as Louis slips his arms into the holes.

Once his jacket was on, Louis grabbed onto Harry's arm so he wouldn't fall as they start to walk. "Hey! Can I get your number before you leave?" Louis heard someone shout before his arm is yanked on. He stumbles a little, just barely catching himself before he could fall.

Harry snaps his head to the side to look at the culprit, his eyes hardening at the sight of the guy from earlier. "Yo, don't fucking pull on him like that ever again asshole! You could have hurt him." Harry says angrily as he gently pulls Louis towards him, shielding him with his body.

"Leave me alone dude, I'm tryna pull and you're fucking it up. It's a conversation between the two of us, you weren't invited." The guy rolls his eyes and goes to grab at Louis again but is stopped by Harry's hand.

"Try to touch him again and I'll break your fucking arm." Harry growls, his blood boiling from a mixture of anger and alcohol.

"Try it bitch." The guy sneers while reaching his hand out again. He was stopped again but this time by a fist roughly connecting with his nose. He shouts at the impact and stumbles back, blood covering his hands as he holds his now broken nose. "Fuck!" He screeches, dropping to his knees as his eyes squeeze shut. "Stupid asshole!"

"I fucking warned you dumbass." Harry scoffs and uses his foot to knock the guy onto his ass. He crouched down in front of the guy who stared up at him with teary eyes. "Now you know to never lay a hand on my Louis again, fucking pussy." Harry pats his cheek before standing up again, turning to face a shocked Louis.

"Let's go blue, I'm not tryna get arrested tonight." He mumbles while grabbing his hands, tugging him along as he walked away. Louis silently followed him, his body heating up at the hot display Harry just pulled off. He tries not to squeal as he buries his nose into his jacket. Harry just punched a guy to protect him! 

 

***

 

Louis and Harry stumble into the empty room, the door closing behind them. "Let's get you into bed." Louis huffs out as he drags Harry's body to his bed. The tall lad collapses onto it, wiggling his body up until his head was resting on the pillows. "Lifts your hips babe, I need to get to the blanket." Louis orders as Harry lifts himself up. He pulls the blanket out and over Harry's body as the biology major groans, holding his head.

"Fuck, it feels like a hammer is hitting my skull." He complains while Louis shuts his lamp off, climbing onto the bed afterwards. "You can take medicine in the morning, now go to sleep." Louis replies while settling beside Harry.

His friend rolled over and shifted closer to Louis, his arms making a cage around his petite frame. "Thank you for coming out with me tonight, Lou." Harry mumbles as Louis hides his face into the pillows.

"You're welcome." He whispers softly. "I know you've been feeling down and I wanted to make you feel better." He hears Harry smile before he actually sees it with his own eyes.

"You're so sweet." Harry murmurs, his large hand moving to cup Louis' cheek. "I'm so glad I have you in my life, blue."

The psychology major giggles and lifts his hand to cover Harry's mouth. "Shh, go to sleep Harry. You're drunk and so am I." He tells him, laughing when Harry licks at his palm. "Ew, you're so gross." He groans while removing his hand, wiping it on Harry's shirt.

"You know you love it." Harry teases which makes them both laugh. It gets quiet after a moment as the two men try to get comfortable enough to sleep. Louis sighs softly and wiggles a little, his head hitting Harry's shoulder.

He could feel Harry's thumb rubbing small circles into his side but he was too tired to really think about it. He closes his eyes and tries to let his sleepiness take over but is stopped by a quiet whisper.

"Louis."

His eyes flutter open and he looks into the darkness, seeing a faint outline of Harry's face. He smiles widely, unable to stop himself when he sees those green eyes. The younger male's breath hitches at the sight of his own personal sun shining upon him. "Louis..." He whispers again, feeling himself lean in.

His mind goes blank and he doesn't register what he's doing until his lips were touching Louis' softer ones. Louis' eyes widen when he feels the smoothness of Harry's mouth against his and freezes, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Harry doesn't pull away but instead presses his lips more firmly against Louis', his hands cupping his cheeks.

Finally, Louis snaps out of his trance and starts to kiss back. His eyes flutter shut as tingles shoot through his body, goosebumps tickling his skin. Their lips move together in perfect sync, their mouths connected like two puzzle pieces. He hears Harry make a noise at the back of his throat before he feels a tongue touch his bottom lip.

Louis immediately parts them to give Harry access and a tongue soon touches his. Small fingers tangle into Harry's hair and the man groans at the feeling, pulling Louis' small body closer to his. He flicks his tongue against Louis' and listens to the gasp he elicits.

Harry tasted like mint and it wasn't until Louis could make out faint traces of alcohol that the situation came crashing down on him. He was drunk and kissing Harry who was drunker than he was. Louis pulls his head back in a gasp, panting softly as he tried to catch his breath to tell Harry to stop.

The taller man took the opportunity to press his lips to Louis' exposed neck and licked a wet stripe that had Louis whimpering. His hand slipped into Louis' hair and he suckled on his soft skin, his eyelashes fluttering. "Harry." Louis moans while tugging on the man's curls, needing him to stop even though he really didn't want him to.

"Harry stop." Louis whispers, his fingertips pressing into Harry's scalp. His friend placed one last kiss to Louis' adam's apple before he finally pulled away. "It's time to sleep, you're drunk." He tells him quietly, secretly loving the way Harry rubbed his thumb over Louis' slightly swollen lip.

"Yeah.. sleep. Mm, I'm tired." He yawns into the empty air, his eyes falling shut afterwards. He wrapped both his arms around Louis and rested his chin on top of his head. Louis tucked his face into Harry's chest and closed his eyes when he felt them swell with tears. It wasn't until he heard soft snores that alerted him of Harry's slumber that he let them fall.

He just kissed Harry and it was better than he ever expected. He should be happy, he should be bouncing off the walls at the fact that he finally got to taste Harry's essence but instead he felt sad. It happened on the wrong terms while they were both drunk. Louis sniffles and tightens his grip on Harry's body, his fingers pressing into his skin. What's going to happen in the morning?


	13. 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!!

 

When Louis woke up it was to the sound of an alarm going off. He groans and straightens his legs out in a stretch, his toes cracking. He rolls onto his back and slowly opens his eyes, lips smacking together. The alarm was still ringing and Louis didn't know where it was coming from. He slowly pushes himself up, careful of his throbbing head. Hangovers are the exact reason why he stopped drinking.

He sighs and rubs at his eyes, picking at the eye boogies in the corners. "What the fuck?" Louis mumbles when the alarm keeps going off, dropping his hands onto his lap. He looks around the room and frowns when he sees it's not his. "Where am—" He cuts himself off in a gasp as the events of last night come crashing down on him. Holy shit, Harry kissed him!

He buries his head into his hands and lets out a loud groan. "What am I going to do?" He whines before throwing himself back down onto the bed. "What am I going to do?" He repeats softly, looking up at the ceiling. "What is he going to do?"

"Who is doing what?" Harry's voice fills the room as Louis sees the door open. "Good morning Louis, sorry about the alarm. You could've turned it off." Harry says with a chuckle as he shuffles to the bed, turning off his alarm clock.

Louis sits up carefully, his eyes studying Harry as he waits for a reaction. "I ran out to get some breakfast so it can soak up all the alcohol." He explains while handing Louis a Dunkin donuts bag. "How are you feeling? You look like shit." He points out with a chuckle, placing a hand on Louis' cheek as he tries to examine his face.

"Yeah..." Louis whispers, his eyes swirling with confusion. "Yeah I feel like shit, hangovers are the worst." He says slowly, opening the bag to his food as Harry takes a seat at his desk. Was Harry ignoring the fact that they kissed? "Last night was fun, huh?" Louis asks to try and get a reaction from him.

Harry looks up as he bites into his sandwich, eyebrows furrowed. He chews his food first and doesn't speak until he's done. "Uhm honestly, I can't remember a fucking thing. I must have been trashed because I literally don't know what happened last night." He says sheepishly with a chuckle.

Louis' eyes widen and he stares down at his own sandwich, his heart plummeting. So Harry doesn't remember the kiss? Louis doesn't know whether he should be hurt or relieved. "Oh, you don't remember anything at all?" He asks while clearing his throat. "What was the last thing you remember?"

Harry purses his lips as he thinks back on last night, trying to wrack his brain for the last thing. "Uhh—oh! I remember telling that guy to fuck off when we first got there. I remember you tripping on your way to the bathroom and I know we were like five drinks in at that point. And the last thing I remember is you asking me if they sold poptarts."

"That's it?" Louis asks in disbelief. He forgot the last three hours of the night before they actually went to sleep. Of course he did, it's exactly what Louis' luck would do for him. "You don't remember punching that guy?"

Harry's eyebrows shoot to his hairline and his jaw literally drops. "I punched someone!?" He almost shouts, sitting up straight. "Why did I punch a guy?" He asks in a mixture of intrigue and confusion.

"He was trying to hit on me and he yanked on my arm. It was the same guy from when we first got there. You told him not to touch me and when he tried again you punched him and broke his nose."

"Holy shit." Harry breathes as he rests his chin on his folded hands. "Wow, I honestly don't remember that. I was wondering why my knuckles looked so fucked up but I thought it was from me being stupid drunk and maybe I had hit something by accident."

"Well you did... it just happened to be a guy's face."

They both laugh at the hilarity of the situation, the fact that Harry didn't remember making it funnier. "So you really don't remember anything?" Louis asks softly after a quiet moment, picking at a hash brown in front of him.

"No I don't, I'm sorry." Harry frowns and shakes his head. "Why? Did something important happen?" He asks before taking another bite of his sandwich, his eyes trained on Louis.

Louis bites down on his lip and debates about whether he wants to tell Harry the truth or not. The kiss was nice and Louis loved it but it happened when they were both drunk and Harry doesn't even remember it. Louis doesn't want their first kiss to be remembered as something like that, he wants it to be when Harry is fully aware of his feelings and of what's happening. So instead of telling the truth, Louis smiles and shakes his head.

"Nope, nothing happened at all."

 

***

 

Louis shuts the door to his dorm and leans against it, his heart breaking into pieces. He slowly slides down and sniffles quietly, tears finally falling down his cheeks. He doesn't know why he's crying because it's not Harry's fault that he doesn't remember, they were both wasted.

But he can't help but feel so much pain at the thought that their kiss last night might be the only kiss that'll ever happen between them.

"Louis?" Liam groggily calls out as he sits up in his bed. Niall's sleeping form was next to him as the brunette snored. He rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat, blinking a few times to focus his gaze. Once he saw Louis hyperventilating into his knees on the floor, he jumps out of the bed and rushes over to him.

"Lou, what happened?!" He gasps while pulling his friend into a hug. Louis hugs Liam back and cries into his chest as he hides his face. "Shh, calm down little one. Time to calm down, watch the sun go down and the moon rise up." Liam whispers softly. It's their thing that they came up with for when Louis has his rare panic attacks. It helps him focus long enough to calm down so he could speak.

Louis breathes in and out roughly, listening to Liam whisper the phrase over and over until his heart finally slowed to a steady thump. He sniffles and grips onto Liam's shirt, blinking his wet eyes as his eyelashes clump together. "Are you okay to talk?" Liam asks quietly while pulling back a little to see his face.

Louis nods and rubs his nose, sitting down on his ass. "Harry and I kissed last night." He mumbles while picking at his shoelace. He can feel the waves of surprise emit from Liam. "We were both drunk and it happened so suddenly. Harry doesn't remember it, he doesn't remember anything that happened last night and it's okay because he was wasted but... but..." He breathes in sharply and wipes his tears away.

"It still hurts Liam." He whimpers and grabs Liam's hands when it was held out to him. "I don't want to like him anymore, I don't want to feel this way anymore." He cries so softly that Liam felt his own heart tear in two. "He's so perfect and he's everything I want but he'll never see me in that way. And I can't do it anymore Li, I can't be second best to someone who was always my first choice." Liam pulls Louis into another hug as he starts to cry again, silent sobs wracking his body as his lips quiver. "It hurts so much."

 

***

 

Louis was sitting in the grass underneath a tree with his head tilted to the sky. It's been a few days since the aftermath of their night out and Louis has been avoiding Harry. It's not that he's mad at his friend because he's not, it wasn't Harry's fault that he can't remember. But Louis finds himself getting tongue-tied around him now.

It's like he doesn't know how to act around him anymore and Louis hates that it's like that. He wishes things could just go back to normal but his body reacts a completely different way. He knows that Harry knows he's avoiding him. The biology major is constantly dropping by to see him but he always asks Liam to make up an excuse.

And when Harry sees him on campus, Louis keeps the conversation short and sweet before running away. He knows he's hurting Harry but Louis is hurting too and it's too much going on at once. It doesn't help that Astrid is texting him, asking him for updates on how Harry's been holding up since the breakup. When did he become a messenger?

He sighs and rests his head back against the tree, closing his eyes as he takes in the sunlight. Right now is the only time this week that he's felt relaxed. "Louis..." And he spoke too soon. His eyes slowly open to see Harry standing in front of him with a sad look on his face, hands folded together.

"Hey." Louis whispers softly. Harry smiles small and fiddles with the hem of his shirt. "Come sit." He requests while patting the spot next to him. Harry jerks forward almost immediately and he sits down next to Louis, settling against the tree.

"Listen—"

They laugh when they both say the same thing at the same time. Louis shakes his head and waves his hand towards Harry, "You can go first." He tells him while turning his body to face Harry.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you avoid me." He starts off while looking down at his hands. "Dude, I know I may be impulsive and I know alcohol makes it ten times worse but if I did something or said something that hurt you then I'm so sorry, if I could remember what I did I would take it back and never ever hurt you again."

Louis sighs and rubs his nose, his eyes trained onto the small rock by his feet. "You didn't do anything to me so you don't have to apologize. We had a lot of fun that night and I'm glad it happened. You always protect me and take care of me, H. Never have you hurt me."

"Then why are you avoiding me?" Harry lifts his gaze. "Why are you making Liam lie about where you are?"

Louis bites down on his lip as he adverts his gaze. He doesn't want to tell Harry about the kiss. Not now, not when he still has these feelings for him. "That night at the club... you were really drunk and you started talking about Astrid."

"I—what?"

"You got really upset and you kept asking me why did she do what she did. Why did she break up with you after three years, stuff like that." Louis connects their eyes. "You said you were confused and you didn't understand anything because you thought that you two were okay."

"Louis I..." He trails off as he tries to think of what to say.

"Maybe you should go talk to her."

"What?"

"Maybe you should go to Kingsman and talk to her. You obviously have unfinished business and she keeps texting me asking about you anyway so I think you two need to talk."

Harry is silent as he takes in what Louis is telling him. "Yeah..." He gulps and runs a hand through his hair. "Maybe I should." Harry jumps up so suddenly that it scares Louis who places a hand on his heart. "I'm going to go see her right now." Harry smiles and blows a kiss to his friend. "Thank you blue, thank you for everything." Louis watches as he runs out of the square with a frown, wiping his eyes when tears start to build. He knows it's for the best.


	14. 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!!

 

Louis was sitting at his desk in class. He hasn't heard anything from Harry since his friend left a few hours ago to see Astrid. He doesn't really know what's going to happen but he hopes things just calm down because he's too overwhelmed. He sighs and rests his cheek against his hand, blocking out what the teacher was talking about.

Louis didn't realize it but he was looking at a kid from his class as he zoned out. Jonathan blinked when he saw Louis staring at him and gave him a weird look. He tilted his head and waved his hand a few times, raising his eyebrows when Louis doesn't react. It dawned on him that Louis was probably spaced out and he snickered in amusement.

He decides to strike a pose and puckers his lips dramatically, his hand turned outwards. When Louis doesn't move, he shifts into a new position. He flips his eyelids inside out and pulls at the corners of his mouth. Still no reaction so he tries another one. He flexes the muscles of his right arm, his face twisted up into a stupid expression as he sticks his tongue out.

Louis blinks when he sees movement in front of him and focuses on the guy Jonathan that was in his class. He snorts and covers his mouth when he catches the man posing in an awkward version of the thinker statue. "Tomlinson and Grandue! Either you pay attention to my class or you leave." The professor barks which has both men bowing their head.

"Sorry professor." They both mumble while picking up their pencils again. Louis glances up at Jonathan to see the man looking back at him. They both smile at each other before turning back to their textbooks. Louis bites down on his lip, feeling happier than he has all week.

 

***

 

Harry knocks on Astrid's dorm, his lips pressed together as he tried to stay calm. It took a couple seconds for someone to answer but the door swung open to reveal his ex-girlfriend. She was wearing grey sweats with a tank top and her hair was pulled into a messy bun. Her eyes were wide with surprise and Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" She asks while crossing her arms. Harry clears his throat and folds his hands behind his back, his green eyes studying her facial expression.

"I came to talk to you. Can I come in?"

She hesitates before slowly nodding, stepping aside to give Harry room to walk in. He steps inside and walks over to her bed, sitting on it as she closes and locks the door. He notices her roommate was gone and takes a moment to look around her dorm. He noticed a picture frame of the two of them smiling was sitting on her desk and he felt his stomach flip painfully. He frowns when he feels nothing when he looks at that picture.

"You came here to talk so..." She trails off while gesturing for him to continue, taking a seat at her desk. Harry is silent for a moment longer before he finally looks away from the frame, his eyes falling on her.

"Why did you break up with me?"

Her eyes widen at the bluntness and she quickly diverts her gaze to the ground. "Harry, now is not the time to bring this up." She says with a sigh.

"Holly, I just need some fucking closure. If you don't want to be with me anymore then fine, I'll leave you alone. But I at least deserve some fucking explanation." He snaps while running a hand through his hair in his attempt to stay calm.

Astrid clutches her throat when she feels it close up as tears threaten to spill. "Harry, we were never going to work. Not after Louis came into your life."

"What—Louis? What does Louis have to do with our relationship?"

"Harry, you're smart but you're also blind." She says with a wet chuckle, rubbing her nose. "Louis likes you and I know he does. I know you don't notice it but you'll soon see it the way I do." She sighs and drops her hand onto her leg. "At first it was okay that he liked you cause he's a really great fucking guy and he made you happy when I couldn't be there. But there was a moment in time where something changed."

Harry watches her speak in a mixture of shock and confusion. "And I'm trying to deal, Harry. I'm trying to make sense of where it went wrong but it's so fucking hard. We were drifting apart and Louis' presence didn't help and maybe you don't understand because I know you and I know you can't decipher your feelings for him but they're there."

Harry's head shook as he stood from her bed. "I'm not gay, Astrid. I know I don't like Louis, what are you talking about?" He holds his hand out to reach for hers but she pulls back and shakes her head.

"I love you so much, H. And I will always want what's b-best for you." She sniffles and rubs her eyes. "I want you to be happy, that's what we always wanted for each other since we were teenagers. And I know you can't see it but Louis is what's best for you because he makes you happy in a way I can't."

"I don't like Louis."

"Yes, you do."

"Astrid no I don't!"

"Harry!" Her voice cracks and she stands from her chair. "You like him and deep down I know you realize that. You've never been with a guy before so I know you don't see it because it's not something you're use to but you like him!" She covers her mouth as she tries not to cry.

"Astrid I love you!"

"I know Harry." She squeezes her eyes shut and places a hand on her stomach. "I know you love me but it's possible to love two people at once and it's okay. I'm not mad anymore, I was but I'm not anymore because I understand I can never compare to Louis."

"There is nothing to compare—"

"Harry." She cuts him off and opens her eyes, looking into his green ones. "What do you see when I smile?"

His face scrunches up in confusion and he throws his hands up. "Why are you asking me this Holly, I don't get what's going on."

"Just answer the damn question."

"I see... I see the times we spent laughing together. I see our happiest moments, I don't know! It's a regular smile, it's you and your beautiful self."

"And when Louis smiles?"

"This isn't about him! This is fucking—this is about us!"

"Answer me!"

"Fuck!" He pulls at his hair and closes his eyes as he envisions Louis' smile, chills shooting down his spine. "I see the sun. I see it's rays shining down on me when he smiles. I see stars and in the morning it's different... it's softer and gentler." He pulls at his hair, "It's warm and safe. It's—I don't know, it's Louis and everything perfect about him."

She sniffles as she covers her face, her body shaking as she cries. Harry takes a deep breath as he thinks about what he just said, his mind swirling with so many thoughts. "Astrid.."

"Do you hear yourself, H?" She lifts her head, smiling through her tears. "That was beautiful... just like your relationship with Louis."

Harry shakes his head and reaches his hand out to touch her cheek. "I still love you, Holly."

"Yes but my smile will always be a regular smile and his will always be the sun."

 

***

 

Louis was walking to the field when he felt a hand tap on his shoulder. He whips around with his fist up, ready to hit the person touching him but pauses when he sees it's Jonathan. "Woah! I come in peace." He says with a chuckle, his hands up in a surrender position.

His fist lowers as Louis gives him a sheepish look, smiling small. "Sorry, it's my automatic reaction."

"Remind me never to surprise you." Jonathan says with a chuckle as he stuffs his hands in his pocket. "I know this is sudden and you barely know me but I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime?"

Louis blinks and he tilts his head in interest, looking at him up and down. "As in a date?" He asks while his eyebrows raise, Jonathan smiling widely.

"Uh yeah, that's what I was hoping for. I heard you and Noah broke up and thought maybe I should shoot my shot."

"Me and Noah—oh yeah! Yeah, we broke up. Uhm..." Louis furrows his brows. "A date, hm. I'll get back to you on that."

"You'll get back to me?"

"Mhm, wait three to five business days and you'll get your reply." Louis smiles and waves at him before he walks away, resuming his path to the field for practice. Jonathan chuckles as he watches Louis walk away, a smile on his face. He was so interesting.

 

***

 

Harry closed the door to his room and let out a sigh, kicking his shoes off. He shuffled to his bed and collapsed on it, his head burying into his pillow. He inhales deeply and clenches his fist when he smells Louis' sweet peach scent lingering on his pillowcase. He wraps his arms around it and hugs it to his chest, his eyes falling shut.

The conversation with Astrid was still lingering in his head and he felt like he was in shock. He would have never thought that was the reason why she broke up with him. He had assumed maybe she cheated but never would he have assumed it was because she suspected he had feelings for Louis.

He sighs and turns onto his back, looking up at the ceiling. Does he even have feelings for Louis? That was the million dollar question he doesn't have an answer for. Astrid has never led him down the wrong path and they've always wanted the best for each other. Could she be right? And if she was, how could Harry tell?

He takes out his phone and opens up his browser, typing the most embarrassing thing in his life. He clicks on the first article labeled as '8 signs that you're falling in love, according to science.' This may get him nowhere but it doesn't hurt to try.

**1\. You can't stop staring at them**

Harry and Louis do look at each other a lot, especially when they're talking. They've always been good at eye contact. And yeah, Harry can admit that he tends to admire the smaller lad when he was distracted by something but who doesn't.

**2\. You feel like you're high**

Okay, when Harry is around Louis he definitely feels like they're on drugs. But Louis' cheerful attitude is infectious and his weird personality does nothing but lure him into his weird shenanigans that gets him high on happiness.

**3\. You always think about them**

Harry wouldn't say that he always thinks about Louis. He does run across his mind quite often, yes. When he sees pop tarts he thinks of Louis. When he sees chloroform in the janitors closet, he thinks about Louis. When he's looking at the sky during the day he thinks about Louis' smile and when he sees the night sky he thinks about Louis and how they stargaze. But that's normal, isn't it?

**4.  You want them to be happy**

Of course Harry wants Louis to be happy, that's his best friend. If Harry could do anything in the world, it would always be to make sure Louis was happy.

**5\. You're trying new things**

Trying new things? Harry doesn't think he's tried anything new. He's—well he's tried new foods that Louis loves. He's watched new shows that Louis is obsessed with. He's even picked up on playing soccer because Louis loves it.

**6\. You're okay with the gross stuff**

Being friends with Louis means having to deal with gross things. Like how Louis rubs his nose onto his sleeve. Or how he gets crumbs in Harry's bed when they binge-watch shows. Even the way Louis licks Harry's hand when he's bored. It's all apart of him.

**7\. You love their quirks**

Louis and his weird personality is one of the many reasons Harry loves him. Every little thing he does is unique and it's what drew him in at the beginning. If anyone wasn't in love with Louis' quirks then they had serious mental issues.

**8\. You don't feel pain as strongly**

Harry thinks this one is kind of a reach. Love can't make someone not feel pain. But... there was a time when he was with Louis at the arcade and he was laughing so hard and having so much fun he didn't realize he had gotten a deep cut on his hand until Louis saw the blood. But does that count?

Harry sighs as he puts his phone down, his head pounding. This is overwhelming to say the least. Just a few months ago he was happy with his girlfriend and now he's laying in his bed trying to figure out his feelings for a guy. When did life get so complicated? Harry groans and buries his face into his hands, sitting up in his bed. His phone rings and he uses one hand to pick it up, looking down at the screen. He sees it's a text from Louis.

**blue** **(** **_5:45pm_ ** **)**   
**I hope you're okay, Hazza!**

Hazza?  _Hazza?_

Harry gasps as he drops his phone, closing his eyes as flashbacks of the night they went drinking hit him all at once. He remembers Louis struggling to get out of his jacket. He remembers talking about Astrid and he remembers Louis getting scared by his outburst. He remembers Louis being yanked and the anger he felt.

He can recall the crack of the guy's nose breaking and the burn of his knuckles. He remembers stumbling into his room with a giggling Louis and he remembers seeing the shining smile. He remembers the press of their lips and how they moved so smoothly together. He can almost taste the faint traces of peach that embodied Louis' very essence.

He remembers the whines he pulled from Louis and the hickey he left on his tan skin. He remembers wanting to pin him down until Louis was writhing with pleasure. He remembers the shape of Louis' body conforming with his as they kissed. Fuck—he definitely kissed Louis. And he definitely fucking liked it.


	15. 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!!!

"Astrid I think you were right." Harry blurts out into the phone as he paces his room. It's been two days since he found out he kissed Louis and he's been having a mini panic attack almost the entire time. "I think I have feelings for Louis and I know you probably don't want to hear this but I have no one else I can go to. I'm so confused and lost."

"We–we kissed a few days ago when we were drunk and I'm pretty sure he remembers but I ended up forgetting because I was trashed and... I don't know what to say or do now. Please call me back." He sighs as he hangs up, hoping she listens to her voicemail.

He tosses his phone onto his bed and tangles his fingers in his hair. He walks in circles as he tries to pick at his mind about what he should do. He's almost one hundred percent sure he has some strong feelings for Louis and it's hitting him all at once. He's not even sure if Louis has feelings for him. He knows Astrid said he does but Louis has never openly told him so he can't assume. Harry groans and throws himself onto his bed, his eyes shooting to the ceiling. What is he going to do?

 

***

 

Louis was sitting at his desk in his English class when the chair next to his scraped against the floor. He snapped out of his thoughts about Harry and how he was doing to look to his side. Jonathan smiled at him and sat down in the seat, his hands moving to rest on the desk. "So.. do I have an answer yet?" He asks sweetly, his eyes twinkling.

Louis raised his eyebrows and checked his apple watch for the date, humming softly. "Sorry buddy, it's only been two business days. You're too early."

"Aw man." He sucks his teeth and leans back into his chair. "I can't get express shipping or a student discount?"

"Nope." Louis grins and turns his attention to his textbook, flipping to the chapter they left off on. "That's only for special people and you aren't one of them."

"Wow." He whistles and shakes his head, a hand over his heart. "So cold, so brutal." They both smile at each other before Jonathan leans forward. "But seriously, what's it going to take to get a date with someone as beautiful as you?"

Louis looks at his phone, seeing an empty screen. He bites down on his lip and wonders if he should just agree or not. He wants to stay open in case Harry needs him but—Louis shakes his head and tries to wipe that thought away. Harry went after Astrid so maybe it was time to move on.

He glances at Jonathan who was patiently waiting with a small smile. "Okay." He eventually says after a moment, his eyes catching the way his smile grew. "I'll go on a date with you. But I get to pick what we're doing."

"Deal."

 

***

 

"What's wrong, Harry?" Astrid asks in concern once the man picks up. Harry sits up in his bed and runs a hand through his hair, not expecting her to call him back so soon. "You guys kissed? What is even happening?"

"Yeah." He sighs and shakes his head. "We went drinking a few nights ago and we both got wasted but I was drunker than Louis. I ended up punching this guy and then–"

"You punched someone!?" She exclaims. "You have never fought someone before Harry, not even when those assholes from Williamson hit on me."

"Yeah I know. Louis said it was because this guy yanked on his arm and tried to hit on him. I don't even—that doesn't matter right now. We ended up kissing after we got back to my dorm but Louis stopped me because he knew we were both too drunk. I didn't remember anything when I woke up until two days ago and now I don't know what to do."

"So," Astrid starts as Harry crosses his legs. "Do you like Louis? We should start there."

"Yeah." He whispers as he looks at the picture on his desk of Louis smiling with his arms wrapped around Harry's neck as they posed outside of the park. "I'm pretty fucking sure I like him."

"I knew it." She sighs and tries to keep her feelings in check. "I'm never wrong, Harry."

"Yeah I know but I'm so lost, Holly. I don't know what to do. Just a few days ago I was so sure that I was straight and that I loved you but now... I don't know how to feel or even think anymore."

"It's okay. I told you before that it's possible to have feelings for two people at once. Louis is an amazing guy so I understand. It hurts but I get it and I know you still love me but it's not the same..."

"Not anymore." He finishes for her. "Not after Louis."

"Exactly." She chuckles softly, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I don't blame you. But you need to get your shit together. Louis has liked you for months now and a person can only take so much before they explode and let go. It's time for you to decide whether you'll act on your feelings or not."

"Are you even sure Louis likes me? How could I have not seen the signs?"

"You were blinded, H. But from the outside looking in, Louis is infatuated with you. The kid would do everything to make you happy, even if it means letting you come back to me." She sniffs. "But we both know now that I'm not what you want anymore."

 

***

 

"Are you sure you should be going on this date, Lou?" Niall asks as he unwraps his burger, biting into it. "I mean just a few days ago Harry kissed you and now you're going on a date with this kid you just met. I want you to be safe and make decisions when your mind isn't a mess."

"I think maybe it's a good thing I'm doing this." Louis says as he combs his hair, pushing it out of his face. "It's time I let go of Harry because he obviously loves Astrid. He has no feelings for me."

"He kissed you, Louis."

"Because he was drunk."

"Drunk actions are sober thoughts."

Louis sighs and shakes his head, placing his brush down as he looks in the mirror. "I've been pining after this guy for months now. He had a girlfriend for fucks sake. What I'm doing now should have been the first thing I did when I started developing feelings for him."

Niall chews his food before replying, picking up some fries. "I just want you to be sure that you know what you're doing. It's not just your feelings being involved now, Lou. It's Jonathan's too."

 

***

 

Harry ran down the flight of stairs to get to Louis' floor. He just got off the phone with Astrid and he knows exactly what he should do. He needs to find Louis and tell him the truth. He doesn't know what's going to happen but he knows he can't keep this in anymore. He doesn't know how Louis kept his feelings hidden for so long because he's been aware of his feelings for two days now and he's combusting.

He pulls the door open and steps into the hall, turning left to walk down. Once he gets to Louis' dorm he knocks three times, his hands trembling. There was no answer for a few seconds so Harry lifts his hand to knock again when the door swings open.

"Harry?" Niall asks in surprise when he sees the distraught looking guy. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Louis, is he here?" He asks quickly while peeking into the room to try and see if he could spot the small lad.

"Uh no, he's out on a date."

Harry blinked in surprise, his mouth parting as he takes in the new information. "What—a date? Why is he on a date? With Noah?" He asks, completely forgetting about Louis' boyfriend.

"Noah? No, they broke up awhile ago. He's on a date with Jonathan. They just left actually."

"Jonathan... who the fuck—where? Where are they going?" He asks while pushing his confusion aside, jealousy swirling in the pit of his stomach.

"To the movies I think. If you leave now I think you can catch them before they leave the..." Niall trails off as Harry darts away, running down the hall. "Parking lot." He finishes, shaking his head. "So weird." He closes the door and goes back to Liam's bed, picking up his half eaten burger.

Harry rushed out of the elevator and ran to the front door, ignoring the shout from the security guard about running. He pushes the door open and looks around the parking lot, his chest heaving as he breathes heavily. He finally spots movement across the lot and sees Louis walking with a guy to a silver car.

"Louis!" He shouts while taking off, running towards the couple. The smaller man turns when he hears his name and looks around in confusion. When his gaze falls on Harry, his eyes widen and he let's go of Jonathan's hand.

"Harry?"

"Louis wait!"

"Jon, I'll be right back. You can start the car." Louis tells him as he speeds walk to the man running to him. Jonathan frowns but listens anyway, walking away to his car. Harry stops in front of Louis, hands on his knees as he tries to regain his breath.

"Harry, what's going on? Where have you been the past two days?"

"I was going through a lot and—" He wheezes, straightening up as his lungs fail on him. "Fuck, give me a minute." He closes his eyes as he tries to even his breathing, his heart pounding in his ears. Louis watches him carefully in concern, ready to react if something bad happens.

"Please don't go on this date." Harry finally manages to get out, his eyes opening to look at him. "Don't go out with him. I don't want you to be with this guy tonight, or ever for that matter."

Louis shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest. "Harry, what are you going on about? What's going on?" He asks in confusion, not having a clue what Harry could be saying.

"Louis I know you like me."

His eyes widen and his arms drop to his sides. He could feel his lunch try to make its way back up and quickly covers his mouth. "Oh god." He shakes his head in quick motions, his heart racing. "Who told you that?"

"Astrid did, she said she knew for awhile."

"Oh god." He moans again while burying his face into his hands. "I knew it, I had a feeling she knew. Fuck my life."

"So it's true?" Harry's lips twitch into a smile. "You like me?"

Louis sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Yes, I like you." He whispers so softly Harry almost didn't hear him.

"Louis I—"

"I know you don't feel the same way, I understand that you love Astrid and it's okay. I'm done with feeling this pain." He shakes his head and drops his hands to his side again. "I'm tired of pining after you so I'm going to let you go."

"Louis I like you too."

"No Harry." He scrunches his face up. "I don't want to hear that out of pity, I want it to be on your own terms. You're probably just saying that because you feel bad and... and..." Louis sniffles and rubs his eyes. "I don't want to like you anymore Harry, it hurts too much so please. Just let me go on this date and move on."

"But..."

"Please." He begs as tears fall. "Harry I can't do it anymore."

The taller man's heart breaks as he realizes what a one-sided crush did to him. Had Louis been hurting this entire time? Could he do this to Louis when he knows he still loves Astrid as well? He opens his mouth and curls his hands into fists. "If he does anything you don't like, you text me."

Louis smiles through his tears and nods his head. "Thank you."


	16. 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment! I love you all so much!

****Harry was gnawing on his lip as he stood looking out his window. Louis went on another date with the kid Jonathan and he didn't like it. He knows he allowed Louis to walk away from him because the boy was broken inside, but he still was against the dates. He sighs and ruffles his hair, walking away from the window.

It's been tense since the confession five nights ago and all their friends notice it. Louis can barely look Harry in the eye and it's hurting the man inside. Harry was stupid and he was dense, he deserves the pain and anger he's feeling now because it's what Louis had to go through for months. But it still doesn't stop the constant thoughts of him.

He wants Louis here with him. He doesn't care about what the consequences would be, he wants Louis with him. Harry knows it's unfair because he still loves Astrid but he wasn't in love with her—not anymore. Louis is who he wants, he knows that know. Louis makes him happy and that's what Astrid wants anyway, his happiness. Three years was a long time so those feelings don't go away overnight but Harry is prepared to work hard.

His eyes were trained on the picture of the two of them on his desk, his hands folded on his stomach. He could feel the warmth from Louis' smile even though it was a picture. He could see the bright sun rays and the twinkling stars. He covers his face and he takes a deep breath. Is it possible to miss someone who was so close yet so far away?

 

***

 

"So you're telling me Harry told you that he liked you and you... rejected him?" Liam asks in confusion, his hands folded on the desk in front of him. They were in a deserted part of the library talking about Louis' current predicament.

"Yes." Louis nods. "That is exactly what I did."

Liam blinks slowly and puts his head in his hands. "I feel like I'm going insane. Okay, let me get this straight. You really, really like Harry and apparently he likes you back but you reject him?"

"Exactly." Louis nods his head again. "You are right."

"Louis... what the actual fuck?" Liam sighs and rubs his temples. "Do you realize how dumb that sounds?"

"Out loud it sounds kind of weird but in my head it makes a lot of sense." He defends himself while rubbing his finger in figure eights on the table. "I don't want to really allow myself to believe he likes me because I know he still loves Astrid and I don't want to end up broke hearted when he goes back to her."

"But what if he doesn't, Lou?" Liam asks while lifting his head to meet Louis' gaze. "You can't see the future so how can you possibly know if that's what he'll do? Why torture yourself by forcing yourself to go on these dates when Harry just confessed his feelings for you?"

"Liam I'm scared." Louis whispers while pressing his hands together. "I'm scared of allowing myself to completely fall for him because if I do then I'm really stuck. And god forbid, if he ever got back with Astrid... then I'm the one who has to put my broken heart back together."

Liam shakes his head and grabs Louis' hands, squeezing them gently. "You're not alone Louis, you never were. I have always been right by your side to help you through everything. Since grade-school, remember? It'll always be me and you against the world."

He smiles and rubs his thumb over Louis' knuckles. "If Harry was to ever break your heart—which I think is like impossible because you know how he is... then I'll be there. And I'll be holding your hand as I help you pick up the pieces."

He tilts Louis' chin up when he sees tears. "But don't torture yourself over this. You can't help who your heart wants and you're lucky that who it wants, wants you too. Don't make yourself miserable when you have a chance to see the sunlight."

 

***

 

Louis was tapping his pen against his desk, his eyes on the floor. He was in his effective speech class and he could almost feel Harry's eyes staring at him. Tingles were erupting throughout his body and he knew his face was red. He hates himself for being so affected by something as simple as his stare.

"Okay so we're going to be—"

Their teacher was cut off by an alarm ringing and Louis almost jumped out of his seat. The alarm was alerting them of a lockdown drill being put in place. "Alright everyone, you know what to do. Under the desks!" Their professor orders, everyone scrambling out of their seats to get under the desks.

Louis slides out of his chair and curls up under the desk, his knees pulled up to his chest. He's thankful that he's all the way in the back row because there was only one other person who sits in his row and that was Harry. Speaking of the devil, a second body crawls under his desk and their eyes connect.

"What are you doing? Go under your own desk!" Louis whisper-yells while shoving at Harry's shoulder. The taller man smiles and swats at Louis' hands, settling under the desk.

"No, I like it here." He whispers back, his head resting on Louis' leg. The psychology major huffs and rolls his eyes, trying to stop the smile from taking over his face.

"You're so annoying." Louis complains while hiding his face into his knees, looking down at Harry's glowing face. He was so close that he could see the golden specks in his eyes and Louis' stomach flipped.

"But that's what you love about me." Harry teases while poking Louis' side, the smaller man jumping at the ticklish feeling. "Shh, stop moving or we'll get in trouble." Harry tells him, grasping Louis' hand when it comes towards his face.

"So unfair, you can tickle me but I can't even touch you." Louis huffs while purposely moving his leg so it hit Harry's face. The younger one grunts and uses his free hand to rub at his nose.

"Hit me again and watch what happens." He playfully threatens, squeezing Louis' hand before he laces their fingers together. Louis bites down on his lip and presses his fingertips into Harry's skin, his heart skipping a beat.

"What are you gonna do, hmm?" Louis whispers, watching Harry's thumb caress the back of his hand in slow motions. "You gonna tickle me to death? So scary." He rolls his eyes, loving the smile that Harry gives him.

"Shut up, asshole." Harry says with a soft laugh, glancing up to see if the teacher can hear them.

"Make me."

Harry's gaze shifts to him and their eyes connect. Louis has a teasing smile that made him look mischievous and beautiful. He pushes himself up on his elbow, his lips slightly parted as he gets closer to Louis' face. The smaller man tries to keep his breathing even as Harry leans in, his eyes fluttering shut in anticipation.

But instead of feeling lips press against his, he feels them against his cheek. They were soft and slightly damp from the habit Harry has of licking his lips. He was so close that Louis could smell the familiar scent of lavender. His eyes slowly open when he feels Harry pull away, their eyes connected in a heated stare. Louis knew by the look in Harry's eyes exactly what he was thinking inside his head. " _Soon."_

Harry clears his throat and rests his head back onto Louis' leg, his eyes closing. "Have you studied for your exams?" He murmurs softly, their thumbs playfully tapping against each other. Louis giggles and shakes his head, using his free hand to play with Harry's curls.

"Nope. Been too busy to study."

"Too busy? You actually have a life? That's so surprising."

Harry gets a shove to his shoulder that has him snorting loudly, both men freezing when their teacher glares at them. "Sorry." They both whisper softly, giving each other a look when the teacher finally turns away.

"You're a jerk." Louis huffs while hooking his chin over his knee. "I've been busy with Jonathan so I haven't had the time to study." He explains, almost immediately regretting his stupid mouth as soon as he saw Harry's face drop.

"Oh." He says slowly, pulling his hand away from Louis' after a moment. "That's fun. What have you guys done?" He questions while shifting to put some space between them. Louis frowns and fiddles with his fingers.

"I don't have to talk about it..." He trails off awkwardly  
, suddenly wondering why the lockdown drill was taking so long. 

"No, no I want to hear this."

"Well we've been to the movies, we went to a really nice retro themed diner, and tonight we're going to this lantern festival at the park down the street."

"Oh that's nice." Harry nods while pinching his lip. "Have two kissed yet?" He asks icily, trying not to take his jealousy out on Louis.

"Harry I don't have to tell you that."

"Just tell me Louis, it's not that deep."

"No, we haven't." Louis tells him truthfully, seeing the relief flood through Harry's emerald eyes. "But I think he wants to kiss me tonight." Harry purses his lips and nods, grabbing Louis' hand again.

He entwines their fingers to keep himself grounded, swallowing the lump in his throat as Louis watches him. "Louis, why did you reject me?"

His blue eyes dart around to see if anyone was close enough to hear them, seeing no one within the vicinity. People liked to sit in the front he assumes. "Harry we shouldn't be talking about this here."

"Why not? It's a lockdown drill that's lasting a really long time for god knows why. And we're stuck in this dark room, crammed under a desk together until it's over. So let's talk about our feelings now."

Louis sighs and rubs his nose, his eyes watching the way Harry rubs his hand. "I know you say you like me but what if you don't? What if you just think you do because you're confused since the breakup with Astrid?"

"I'm not confused, blue. I'm fully aware of what I'm doing and how I feel. It took awhile but I'm here and I'm waiting for you."

"But Harry—" Louis sighs and closes his eyes, leaning his head back. "What if one day you wake up and realize how much you still love her? And then you'll leave me and I'll be the one who's crying over a broken heart."

"Sweetheart, Astrid and I are done. She's made that very clear and even if I wanted to get back with her, she wouldn't allow it to happen. She wants us together just like I do." Harry brings their hands up to his lips as he presses them to Louis' skin. "I want to be with you."

"It's too risky, Harry." Louis whispers as he tries to calm his racing heart. "I've waited so long for you, too long. It's too late now to just jump into your arms. It's unstable and I'm too scared to try."

"Louis—"

Harry was cut off by the alarm going off to inform them the drill was over. "Alright everyone, class is dismissed I'll continue this Friday."

Louis pulls his hand away from Harry and carefully crawls from under the desk, brushing himself off. Harry sits up and pushes himself off the ground, grabbing Louis' hand before he could walk away.

"Louis wait..."

"No, Harry. It's too late." Louis shakes his head and slips his hand from Harry's grasp. He grabs his bag and walks away, leaving a hurt Harry behind.

 

***

 

"We can look at these over here." Jonathan points out the duck shaped lanterns a few feet away from them. Louis smiles and nods his head, grabbing Jonathan's hand in his.

"After that can we check out the zodiac sign ones?" He asks as Jonathan leads him towards the duck family.

"Of course." He smiles at Louis and moves his arm so it's wrapped around his waist. "Are you having fun?" He asks while they admire the sight in front of them.

"Yeah, they're so beautiful." Louis breathes as he examines the work of art. They were beautifully designed and staged perfectly on the grass. He's never seen something so amazing before.

"Yeah, they are." Jonathan whispers as he stares at his side profile. "Louis?" He calls out to catch his attention. The smaller man turns his head to look at Jonathan, taken back by how close he was.

"Yeah?" He whispers back nervously, his stomach twisting in painful knots.

"I'm going to kiss you, is that okay?" He asks for permission, slowly leaning his head in.

"I–I..." He trails off as he loses his train of thought, unable to form a concrete sentence.

"Louis!"

Jonathan pauses when he hears the voice, his eyes watching the way Louis' face pales. They both turn to look to the side and see Harry standing a few feet away from them, an unreadable look on his face.

"Harry—What are you doing here?" Louis asks incredulously as Harry quickly approaches them. He doesn't answer his question and instead takes Louis' wrist in his, tugging the boy along with him as he walks away.

"Hey! Where are you taking me? I'm on a date!" Louis shouts as he stumbles to catch up with Harry's fast pace, his grip on Louis' hand firm. He glances back to see a confused look on Jonathon's face and could do nothing but shout an apology. What the fuck was happening?


	17. 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment! I love you for loving this story!

****Harry dragged Louis to a secluded area, their chests heaving as they tried to breathe. They basically ran across the park and Louis was seriously considering getting his lungs checked out for asthma because that shouldn't have killed him like it did. Louis straightened up and placed a hand over his heart, his erratic pulse finally slowing to a steady rhythm.

"Harry, why did you take me here?" Louis asks in between a sigh, throwing his hands up. "Why are you even here?"

The taller man ran a hand through his hair as he let out a heavy puff of air. "I don't want you with him, Louis!" He exclaims while tugging at his hair. "I want you with me, I want you by my side. I want you kissing me, not—not that asshole!"

"You don't get to choose for me, Harry! You lost your chance and I'm done, it's done!"

"Louis I didn't know I felt the way I did for you but as soon as I did, I chased after you. Isn't that enough?"

"No it isn't because who can truly know if you'll still feel this way a month from now when Astrid begs for you to get back together with her."

"Louis god—I don't want her anymore!" Harry shouts while flailing his arms. "Yes I love her, I will always fucking love her because she has been such a huge part of my life and I will always care for her. You can't expect me to just stop feeling that way after a month! But please understand that I'm not in love with her, not anymore."

Harry sighs as he rubs his hands down his face, feeling so stressed. He never felt this way with Astrid and it's all so new to him. "Fuck, Louis. Can't you see I'm crazy about you! When I look back in the past I can finally see how fucking gone I was for you. Every little thing in my life revolved around you and it blows my mind that I was too blind to see that."

Louis sniffles as he rubs at his tearful eyes. "Baby, I fucking love you." Harry confesses for the first time out loud, watching as Louis inhales sharply. "Please believe me when I say that I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you! I'll say it over and over a hundred times! I'll scream it to the fucking world if that'll get you to believe me! I love you, blue. It's you I want, it's been you since I saw you fall into that recycling bin."

Harry tries to stop the tears from falling but when he saw the waterfall dripping from the sacred lashes that are Louis', he couldn't help it. "If you just give me the chance I'll love you like I've never, ever loved somebody. Not even Astrid because you are like water during a drought. I'll give you all the things you never even knew you wanted. I'll do anything for you because I fucking love you."

He laughs through his tears, his trembling hands grasping Louis' equally shaky ones. "You're like a harmony in the silent night. You're like a dream but better—because you're my reality. I wanna love you in every way I can if you would just let me." Harry sniffles and pulls Louis closer to him, feeling his small arms wrap around his neck.

"Nothing feels better than this right here, being in your arms. Having you so close to me that I can smell the sweet scent of peaches." Harry's  voice drops to a whisper. "Loving you is like staring at the sun. Loving you is like watching rain fall. Hot and cold, sweet and sour, every number on the scale." Harry cups Louis' cheeks as he presses their foreheads together. "Just give me a chance."

Louis cries quietly, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest at Harry's sweet words. "Harry, I don't know what to say... I want you so bad. You don't know how badly I want to be yours but I'm so fucking scared. I'm scared to give myself up to you because—because I know I can't live without you, not right now."

"You won't lose me baby, I'm yours." Harry murmurs while bumping their noses together. "Just say the words and I'm yours, let go and fall. I'm here, I'm waiting with my arms open. I love you and I know you love me too."

"Harry..." Louis breathes as he pushes up on his toes, their lips connecting in a kiss. Harry cups the back of his head and slides one arm around his slim waist. Their lips move together smoothly and it was just as good as their first. It was like lightning striking their veins as adrenaline pulses through their blood.

Louis makes a small noise into Harry's mouth as the taller lad cages him in, holding him so close they were almost one. Their teeth clanked together occasionally and there was more panting than actual kissing but it was absolutely perfect.

 

***

 

Louis giggles as he swings their connected hands, walking down the hall to Louis' dorm. Ronaldo had his girlfriend over so the two of them were giving him space. Louis knew Liam was at Niall's dorm so they had the room to themselves to talk.

"What are you giggling about?" Harry asks in amusement as he squeezes Louis' hand, tugging him closer. Louis presses himself into Harry's side and smiles innocently, shrugging his shoulders.

"Nothing in particular, I'm just happy."

"Oh yeah?" Harry raises his brows as he spun Louis around, pinning the boy to his door. He leans in close, their lips brushing as he whispered. "Do I have something to do with that?"

"Nope." Louis sticks his tongue out, squealing when Harry tries to nip at it. "I'm happy because it's taco tuesday tomorrow. Gotta love those jalapeños."

Harry rolls his eyes and digs his fingers into Louis' side until the boy was laughing. "Oh please! We both know you hate the school tacos, you say the cheese tastes fake."

"But it does!" Louis defends in between his giggles as he swats at Harry's hands, shifting his body away from his wiggling fingers. "It's like it's made out of plastic, only a crazy person could eat them."

"Well I happen to like them, thank you very much."

"I rest my case."

"Oh you're a smartass tonight aren't you?!" Harry laughs loudly and ruffles Louis' hair, the smaller man pouting as he tries to fix it afterwards. "Open the door so we can watch the office."

"Yeah, yeah give me a minute."

Louis pulls his keys out of his pocket, squirming when he feels Harry's lips brush against the side of his jaw.  "You're distracting me, I gotta unlock the door." Louis complains with a smile as he pushes his key in. He twists it to the side until he hears the click before pushing the door open.

"Finally." Harry groans, dropping a kiss to Louis' cheek as he moves around him to walk inside. "I thought I was gonna die out there."

"Shut up, jerk." Louis shoves at Harry, laughing when the man stumbles. "You're lucky I'm even letting you sleepover."

"I would be so heartbroken if you didn't." Harry says with a pout as he places his hands over his heart. "My little heart would be in pieces."

"Shut up before I actually kick you out and you can watch Ronaldo make out with Rebecca."

"Please don't." Harry begs as he sits on Louis' bed, the smaller man struggling to take his key out. "I think I'd actually jump off a cliff."

"You're so fucking—"

"Louis?"

The psychology major pauses when he hears his name and turns his head to the side to see Jonathan standing a few feet away from him. Louis bites down on his lip and finally pulls his key out, shooting Harry a look when he tries to stand.

"Hey Jonathan." Louis greets, holding his hand up when Harry gets closer to him. "I know I have a lot to explain." He says with a sigh, placing his hand on Harry's chest to keep the man from stepping out the door. "I'll be right out."

Jonathan nods and stuffs his hands into his pockets as Louis pushes Harry further back, walking into the room. He closes the door and looks up at the frowning man. "You're not talking to him."

"Yes I am, H. He was really nice to me and he deserves an explanation. I won't be long and I'll be just outside the door, okay?"

Harry furrows his eyebrows and pinches his bottom lip. "But Louis..." He trails off when the smaller man leans up to peck Harry's lips, his mouth turning up into a small grin. "Fine. Ten minutes max."

"Thank you." He kisses Harry once more before opening the door again, stepping outside. It closes behind him as he approaches Jonathan who looks up at him.

"Hey."

"Hey.." Jonathan nods at him, pushing off the wall he was leaning on. "So I'm assuming the guy that stole you away was Harry Styles?"

"Yeah." Louis bites down on his lip. "He's my best friend and well—it's really complicated right now but we kind of have a thing going now, I guess?" Louis sighs as he tries to get his thoughts together. "What I'm trying to say is that I've liked Harry for awhile now but he had a girlfriend so I tried to move on. And well they broke up a month ago, and he uhm confessed his feelings for me a few days ago but I rejected him because I was tired of liking him."

Louis runs a hand through his hair and hums softly. "You were so sweet and so nice to me that I thought I'd give you a chance. And I honestly thought I could see myself liking you but Harry..."

"Harry is the one you want." Jonathan finishes for him as Louis nods. "I get it, I guess. I'm kinda hurt and I sorta feel used but I understand that the heart is a demanding thing and you can't help but follow it so... it's okay."

Louis smiles small and he looks down at his hands, playing with his thumbs. "Thank you for being so understanding, I really appreciate it so much."

Jonathan cracks a grin and shakes his head. "It's okay, people say I'm too nice sometimes." He sighs and rubs his nose. "Well I guess I'm gonna go, I had a lot of fun with you the last few days and I hope we can hang out again, as friends."

"Of course just hit me up anytime you want."

Louis' eyes shift to the side when he hears the door open and sees Harry's head pop out. "Have a good night Jon. Thank you for everything." He tells him with a smile, leaning in to kiss the man's cheek who blushes. He hears Harry clear his throat but ignores it as he watches Jonathan walk away, waving his hand slowly.

After he was gone he turns to see Harry with his arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows raised. "That was definitely not ten minutes." Louis scoffs as he walks back to the tall lad, grasping onto his shirt.

"Did you really have to kiss his cheek?" Harry complains as he bends his head, meeting Louis halfway in a quick kiss. "Like was it really necessary because I don't think it was."

"Oh hush, you big baby." Louis rolls his eyes with a laugh as he pushes Harry back into his room, following him inside. "What season and episode are we on?"

"Season 7, episode 5. Honestly, he enjoyed that way too much for my liking. I think I'd like to have a little chat with the kid—"

"I have a new bottle of chloroform and I'm not afraid to use it."

"Okay who sells this shit to you, you psycho?!"


	18. 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Leave kudos and comment!!

 

"A light show at the park?" Harry murmurs with his arms crossed over his chest, his green eyes meeting Louis' excited blue ones, "No." The excitement drains from Louis' face and he scrunches his nose up, his head tilting to the left.

"Why not!?"

"I hate crowds, I hate people."

"Where would you go with me, then?"

Harry blinks at his question, slightly taken back by it before pursing his lips slightly. "We can rent a movie and watch it at my room with some snacks." Louis groans and places his two fingers on his temple, rubbing in circles.

"Why can't we do something outside? It's been a beautiful week!" Harry watches him intently, gazing at Louis' shining aura regardless of the waves of frustration emitting from him. And when Louis catches his eye, his pink lips curling into a big smile, Harry can't help but crack a small grin back.

"No, we're renting the movie."

"Harry!"

Harry chuckles and ruffles Louis' hair, the smaller boy blushing at the display of affection. "Louis and Harry are together?" A girl whispers to her friend as they walk past the couple, Louis rambling on about the light show.

"Yeah, I heard Harry got really jealous when Louis went on a date with another guy and stole him away." Her friend replied while giving the couple a side glance. Harry was cupping Louis' cheek, his thumb caressing the prominent cheekbone as Louis talked animatedly about something. "He told Louis he loves him."

The other girl tries to contain her gasp of surprise as she whips around to watch the two walk away, Harry's arm secure around Louis shoulders. "Harry Styles dating a guy? That's almost unbelievable." She exclaims before continuing to walk with her friend, resuming their previous conversation about Shawn Mendes.

"So the light show sounds fun, huh?" Louis tries one more time, his fingers lacing with Harry's hand that was by his ear. The taller man chuckles, his chest rumbling with the sound.

"Blue, you know I get nervous when we're in large crowds. You are so tiny and I don't want you to get lost."

"But what if I hold your hand the entire time, yeah? Will you go with me then?" He asks hopefully, biting down on his lip. Harry pauses as he takes a moment to think about.

"Fine, if you promise to hold my hand so you don't get swept away in the sea of people then we can go."

"Yes!" Louis shouts as he jumps onto Harry's back, the younger male laughing as he holds him up by his thighs. "Light show here we go!" He cheers while tapping his hands on Harry's shoulder as the man walks them to their effective speech class.

"You're so energetic this morning, did you have more than one packet of poptarts? I told you not to do that anymore, you know you get too rambunctious."

"I did not, thank you very much." Louis huffs and hooks his chin over Harry's shoulder. "I'm just excited, it'll be our first official date."

The overwhelming event of them confessing their feelings happened a little under a week ago and this would be their first date. Harry hasn't officially asked Louis to be his boyfriend and Louis hasn't brought it up but it's okay. He knows where they stand and he knows Harry will ask him when he's ready.

He has yet to tell Liam or Niall anything because the couple were away on a week trip with their biology class. Today is their first day back and Louis is ecstatic to give them an update on their situation. He knows they'll be so happy for them.

"And we're here." Harry says as he taps Louis' thighs, the petite man hopping off his back. "Behave and text me when you're on your way to your next class." Harry requests as he leans down, cupping Louis' cheeks in his hands.

Louis furrows his eyebrows in confusion but still puckers his lips for a kiss, gently pecking Harry's lips. "You're not coming to class today?" He quietly asks in between small baby kisses Harry kept placing on his soft lips.

"Mm no." He connects their lips again, lingering for a second longer than last time. "I have to go to this convention with Professor Malik for work. My absence is excused but can you still take notes for me?" He questions while rubbing their noses together.

Ever since Louis agreed to give him a chance, Harry has been bathing him in affection. In all honestly, he's trying to soak up as much love as he can in case Louis ever backs out because at least then he'll have something to remember him by.

"Yeah babe, of course." Louis runs his fingers through Harry's soft hair, smiling at him. Harry's breath catches in his throat when the sun starts to shine, the smile gentler since it was the morning but still so beautiful.

"Gorgeous." He whispers, peppering multiple kisses on both of Louis' cheeks as he listens to him giggle. "Okay, I have to go but I'll be back around four so we can go to the light show after you get back from practice."

Louis nods his head and rubs his thumb over Harry's lip before he finally pulls away. "Alright have fun." He grins and wiggles his fingers at his friend, turning to walk into the room. He lets out a grunt when he knocks into the frame, huffing when he hears Harry laugh.

"Shut up, I didn't see it there!"

Louis rolls his eyes as he continues his walk into the classroom, ignoring Harry's boisterous laughter. But he can't help the happy twitch of his lips when he thinks about how his face must be glowing right now. He really was so lucky.

He sits down in his chair and puts his book bag on top of his desk, humming softly. He was in the middle of pulling out his books when a shadow covers his view. He looks up to see two underclassmen standing in front of him.

"Hey so is it true you're dating Harry?" One girl asks as she twirls her hair around her finger, chewing on a piece of gum. He raises his brows before nodding his head, looking back down at his books.

"Yes I am, why is that important to you?"

"But like I thought he was straight?" The other one questions in confusion, her head tilted to the side. He sighs and rubs at his temples, already feeling a headache coming.

"Sweetheart a person can be straight, bisexual, gay, pansexual, demisexual, and so much more and we would never know. Harry had a girlfriend, yes. And now he's dating me, a guy, yes. It's normal." He explains slowly, tapping his fingers against his desk.

They both looked confused and Louis was ready to combust. "Oh... okay I think I get it." The first girl says slowly, turning around to walk away. Her friend lingers and gives Louis a small smile.

"I think you two are cute though, you compliment each other well." She tells him which makes him grin.

"Thanks, that's really sweet."

"No problem." She waves at him before walking away, meeting up with her friend again as they engage in a new conversation. He looks at his watch and sees that's it's only nine. Seven more hours until he can see Harry again.

 

***

 

"Louis!" Niall squeals when he sees his friend, rushing towards him. He envelops him into a bear hug, the smaller man laughing as crinkles appear by his eyes.

"Niall you were only gone a week." He says with a chuckle as they pull away, the brunette examining him.

"I know but that was a long time. I got so tired of watching cells and their birthing process." Niall rolls his eyes and slides his arm around Louis' shoulder as Liam makes his way over to them. "Honestly mate, you should've came with us."

"I don't take biology."

"I could have snuck you into my suitcase."

"No thanks I would have had to break some bones to fit." He snorts while lifting his head to meet Liam's eyes. The man was smiling at him, his arms opening. Louis immediately burrows himself into them, feeling Niall hug him from behind so he was squashed.

"Oh Lou how we missed you." Liam sighs while patting his friends back, finally pulling away after a moment. Louis was able to breathe again when Niall let go of him to stand beside Liam. "I can't tell you how boring it was."

"Niall gave me an idea." Louis chuckles as they start to walk to the dorms so the men can unpack their bags. "Why did you guys go?"

"To get out of classes for the week." They say in creepy unison that has Louis inching away from them. The couple laughs and doesn't notice Louis' freaked out face, their lips connecting in a quick kiss.

"I did not miss that." He mumbles while swiping his ID so the door unlocks. They all walk inside and Louis leads the way to the elevators.

"Anything interesting happen?" Liam asks as he presses the button, the elevators opening almost automatically. They step inside as Louis hums, pressing the number to their floor.

"Interesting? Uhm let me think..." Louis purses his lips as he taps his chin. "Well I guess this can count as interesting." He shrugs casually, "Harry stole me away from my date with Jonathan and thoroughly confessed his love for me. We both cried like little bitches before we kissed. Then we went back to the dorms, watched the office for awhile before passing out. And tonight we're going to a light show which is our first official date."

He smiles after he's done explaining, ignoring their shocked faces as he walks off the elevator. "Wait Louis!" Niall calls after him as they both scramble to get to him. "You can't just tell us all of that and bail. How did this all happen?!"

"Sit down and relax because it's a long story."

 

***

 

"So are you two officially dating?" Liam asks after Louis was done his story. It took half an hour to explain everything and their minds were reeling with this information. Louis kicks his legs back and forth from where he sits on his bed, shaking his head.

"No, he never really asked me to be his boyfriend but it's okay because I know we're together and I know what I mean to him."

"Hmm, okay." Liam nods his head as Niall jumps onto the bed, laying on his stomach. "I'm really happy for the two of you, Louis. It took forever but look where you are now, you're glowing."

Louis giggles and covers his cheeks as he blushes at the thought of Harry. "He makes me so giddy and I'm mad at myself for almost letting him go."

"I mean you thought he was straight so... I would have moved on a long time ago but you're mentally unstable so I'm not surprised." Niall says with a laugh, yelping a second later when a pillow slams into his face. Louis giggles and sits back down, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Persistence is key, ladies and gentlemen." He says with a wink which makes Liam chuckle while he rubs his thumb over Niall's pouting lips.

"Does Astrid know?" He suddenly asks, his gaze flickering to Louis who looks like he's seen a ghost. "I'll take that as a no."

"Fuck." He whispers and buries his face into his hands, letting out a loud groan. "Fuck my life. I was so happy I forgot about Astrid and how she'll feel when she finds out."

"I mean she did break up with him so she kind of has no right to be mad, right? It's not like Harry cheated on her with you. They weren't together. And didn't you say she knew that you liked Harry? If she knew and still talked to you then I think she'll be okay."

"But still..." Louis sighs and lifts his head. "It's not going to feel good when she finds out her ex-boyfriend who she still loves is dating his best friend, the guy she knew liked Harry when they were dating."

"Regardless, you did nothing wrong. You both kissed when he was single, you confessed when he was single, and now you are together as two very consenting adults. She would have no right to be angry at you, your heart can't help who you love."

"But I liked her boyfriend while they were dating."

"Lou," Niall lifts his head from Liam's pillow. "You never did anything with Harry when he was in a relationship. You never tried to pursue him or force yourself onto him. You were his best friend and that's all, you respected their relationship."

Liam nods his head in agreement. "If she gets mad at you then it's not fair because you even tried to help their relationship when it was going to shit and you told Harry to go back to her even though you wanted him for yourself. Astrid won't get mad at you, she'll be hurt but she'll understand because that's who she is. Don't be worried."

 

***

 

Louis ran across the field towards the ball, sweat dripping down his face as he huffed. He approached his teammate who was posing as the other team for practice and quickly swiped the ball from him. It rolled away from him and he spun around the guy, sending the ball flying back across the field to a person on his team with one kick. They then shot it into the net and everyone cheered.

"Okay, that's enough for today!" Their coach shouts as Louis plops down onto the ground.

"That was really good Salvatore. Next time just be aware of who's coming at you so you have a slight chance of blocking their steal." Louis says in between pants as his teammate kneels in front of him, his own chest heaving.

"Thanks Lou." He says sluggishly as he wipes his face. "Can you teach me how to do that spin tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He nods and runs a hand through his sweaty hair. "I'll add it to the warm ups."

"Cool." Sal smiles and glances up at something he sees, nudging Louis' knee. "Hey, that's your boyfriend right?" He questions while pointing behind Louis. The small lad drops his head back to look behind him, seeing an upside down Harry waving at him. He giggles and straightens his head, pushing himself up.

"Yes it is." He dusts himself off and sniffs. "I'll see you tomorrow, have a good night." He waves at the man who stands before walking off, breaking out into a jog.

Harry smiles at him as Louis gets closer, his hands reaching out to grasp his hips when he's in front of him. "Hey baby." He murmurs his greeting, craning his neck to meet Louis' mouth in a soft kiss. Louis hums against his lips and cups his cheeks, deepening the kiss as Harry's thumbs press into his hip bones.

They pull away after a moment and Harry brushes his sweaty fringe away from his eyes, running his knuckles down his cheek afterwards. "Practice was good?" Harry asks him softly, slipping a hand to the back of Louis' neck, not caring about the sweat. He lowkey thought it was sexy.

"Yeah we split into two teams and did a practice game. It took up most of practice but it was fun. Tomorrow we're doing another mock game and then I have to teach new tricks to the underclassmen."

"Mm, that's exciting." Harry grins and bumps his nose into Louis' gently. "When is your next game?"

"Uhm, I have two games next week. One on Tuesday and the other on Thursday. Then the following week we have one more game before the championship games start up. If we win those then we go to the finals."

"You have a busy month coming up, huh?" Harry presses his finger just under Louis' earlobe, making the man shiver. "Then you have exams to worry about too."

"I know, it's so much." Louis whines while pushing into Harry's hand when it covers his cheek.

"Aw, is my baby stressed?" Harry asks with a pout that made Louis' body tingle. "I'll help you study so you're not handling it alone."

"Thank you, H." Louis grins and leans up to peck his lips. "I'm actually really tired so I don't want to go to the light show tonight. We can go another time this week because it's here for two more weeks."

"If that's what you want, I'm okay with it." Harry tells him as Louis pulls away to gather his things. "By the way, who was that guy you were talking to on the field?" He questions him while sitting on the bench. Louis stuffs his rags and water bottles into his bag, glancing up at Harry.

"Oh, you mean Sal? He's a new member on the team. He's pretty cool and very talented."

"Interesting." Harry hums and follows Louis with his eyes as he stands. "He's aware that you have a boyfriend right?"

Louis' gaze snaps to Harry's face and his lips curl into a smile. He takes in the twinkling look in Harry's emerald gems, his own mouth matching Louis' smile. "I have a boyfriend?"

"Mm, well you do if you accept me." Harry tells him while grabbing Louis' by his hips again, pulling the boy closer to him. He tilts his head to look up at Louis from where he still sits on the bench. "Do you?"

Louis bites on his lip as he cages his arms around Harry's head, bending down until their lips were an inch apart. "I don't know yet, I have to ask my other boyfriend—" He cuts himself off with a squeal when Harry yanks him forward so Louis was straddling his lap.

"Other boyfriend my fucking ass, I'll kill him."

"What a bad boy." Louis teases, kissing his soft lips as he tangles his fingers into Harry's curls. "Yes, I'll be your boyfriend. It only took you forever!"

"Sorry for making you wait, precious. I'm here now and for as long as you'll have me."


	19. 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made!! Leave kudos and comment because it really makes my day to read your comments. It's why I try my hardest to update as much as I can.

****"And remember that your midterm exam is this upcoming Friday so please study because it'll be worth a lot."

Louis' jaw drops at this new information, his eyes growing twice their normal size. "A what? A fucking exam? Since when?!" He whispers to himself, pressing his face into his desk as he plans his funeral. "I'm going to die, this is not happening. I have two days to study."

He wallows in his own self-pity for a few more minutes before lifting his head up. "Is there something wrong?" His professor asks while looking up from the homework he was grading, noticing Louis was still in his chair.

"Nope, nothing is wrong at all. I'm just going to go jump off a cliff, please excuse me."

"Oh okay, have a good—wait what, hold on! Mr. Tomlinson!"

Louis scurries out of the room as he stresses about this new information, making a plan in his head. It'll all work out in the end, he has nothing to worry about. He's freaking out for no reason, it's going to be okay. He takes a deep breath to try and calm down, making his way to the library where he'll be living for the next two days.

He pushes the doors open after swiping in and walks towards the back of the library to the little room that's always deserted. Once he's inside, he closes the door and sits down at the table. He lifts his book bag onto the desk and cracks his knuckles, rolling his neck. "It's go time."

 

***

 

"I want to die." Louis whines as he bangs his head on the table, his stress levels shooting through the roof. Harry reaches across the table and slips his hands into the spot Louis was abusing so his head hit his hands instead of the hard wood. He chewed on the food in his mouth as he watches Louis freak out.

"Babe, I've been reminding you all week about the exams that were coming up and you said you had it covered."

"That was before I realized I had one this Friday!" He wails, lifting his head up to look at his boyfriend with sad eyes. "And it's history so it's my worst subject!" Harry chuckles and picks up his burger, taking a bite while Louis stole a fry from his plate.

"I already said I would help you study so you're not dealing with it on your own. You're gonna need backup."

"I know but I still want to complain until it's all out of my system."

"How is that helpful in any way?"

"It'll help me focus better when I study."

"You're so weird." He mumbles around his food, pushing his plate of fries closer to Louis. "History isn't that hard, it just requires a lot of memorization." Louis pouts and dips three french fries into the ketchup, stuffing it into his mouth afterwards.

"I have selective memory and my memory doesn't select history as an option."

"I don't think that's what it means, blue."

"Tomato, potato. It's all the same thing."

"Louis I truly worry about your brain cells." Harry tells him with a serious face, his half eaten burger in his hands. "Do you think the poptarts are causing you to lose a few every time you eat them?" 

Louis gasps and puts a hand over his heart, giving Harry a disgusted look. "How dare you insult my favorite snack like that. Do you know how much those delicious silver packages mean to me? They have been there from the start—"

"To give you diabetes and steal your brain cells."

"—to support me when I was struggling. Who was there when I tripped over a rock at 6 years old? My poptarts. Who was there when I didn't want to eat my broccoli so I ran away from home? My poptarts. And who was there when you fell asleep while we were watching Moana? My fucking poptarts."

"Louis." Harry sighs as his boyfriend goes on another rant, his lips twitching into smile. "It's just poptarts, you'll be okay."

"Wow, that has to be the most hurtful thing you've ever said to me. You know what," Louis huffs and crosses his arms. "You're getting the silent treatment until you apologize."

"Baby come on, you know you can't go more than a few minutes without talking to me." Harry complains before biting into his burger again. Louis doesn't make a sound and instead turns his nose up. Harry chews and swallows his food before he even tried to talk again.

"How long are you going to keep this up for?"

There was no answer. Louis just turned his head.

"Louis, you're such a child."

This time he got a response in the form of a middle finger. Harry chuckles and places his burger wrapper down, wiping his hands with his napkin.

"Fine then. Blue, I'm so sorry for what I said about your precious snack. I didn't mean a thing because I know how important they are to you and it's what I love about you. I apologize so please forgive me." Even though Harry wanted to mess with Louis a little more, he was actually starting to miss the sound of his boyfriend's voice.

And the smile that broke out onto Louis' face was definitely worth the forced apology. "I love you so much, thank you baby." Louis coos as he walks around the table, sitting sideways on Harry's lap.

"Yeah, yeah. You're lucky I love you." Harry rolls his eyes as he wraps his arms securely around Louis' waist. "I know somebody that can get me the key to the library so we can go there after hours to help you study."

"Oh, I can get in just fine without a key."

Harry stares up at the smaller man who was slowly running his fingers through Harry's hair. "Please tell me you do not break into the library after it's closed." Louis smiles sweetly and pecks Harry's forehead, enjoying the way his eyelashes flutter.

"I do not break in."

"Oh thank god."

"I simple enter uninvited."

"Lord, help me."

 

***

 

"I don't see why we have to go in using the key, there's no fun in that." Louis complains from where he was pouting next to Harry. The taller man had a very firm hold on Louis' wrist so his small boyfriend doesn't try to do anything dumb and accidentally break a window.

"Because we are normal people who use a key to get into a locked place."

"Lots of normal people break—enter uninvited into places all the time. It's called being adventurous."

"That's called getting arrested and wasting money when we get charged for destruction of property."

"You're so boring." Louis huffs as Harry twists the key into the lock, pushing the door open afterwards. He turns his head to the side to look down at Louis and smiles, kissing the tip of his nose.

"But I'm also keeping you safe, aren't I?"

Louis blushes and hides his face into Harry's arm, letting out a small whine. "Not fair! You can't use your sweetness against me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Harry smiles innocently and slips his hand down Louis' wrist to his hand. "Let's go before we get caught."

They quietly walk into the library through a back entrance, carefully closing the door behind them. They maneuver around stacks of boxes, Louis almost knocking one over when he stumbles over his own two feet. "Oh my god, remind me to never sneak somewhere with you." Harry tells him while helping his boyfriend over a pile of newspapers.

"It's not my fault, it moved into my path."

"It's an inanimate object, it can't do that."

"Shut up, you're supposed to be on my side.

"There are no sides! It's a box filled with books."

"Hmph," Louis sniffs, "So rude."

"You're going to be the reason I die young." Harry groans while gently pushing his boyfriend forward to their designated little room in the back. "Hurry up and get your shit out, you need to know this in under two days."

"Don't remind me." Louis rolls his eyes and sits down in a chair, placing his bag on top of the table. "I'm telling you I won't understand all of this by Friday."

"I can make the impossible, possible."

"When have you ever done that?" Louis asks in confusion while pulling his books out, watching Harry stretch in the seat next to him.

"I turned gay." He jokes while kicking his legs out, picking lint off his shirt. There was no answer and he looked up to see Louis staring at him with a blank face. "What?"

"That was horrible, absolute trash."

"Oh come on, I've had worse jokes than that."

"Nope, that's at the top of the list for being the worse."

"You're fucking with me." Harry throws his hoodie at Louis' face, watching as the man sputters when the string gets in his mouth. "That was definitely a little higher than the cat joke."

"Oh god." Louis covers his face and shakes his head. "Please never bring that up ever again. I think I will actually kill myself."

"It wasn't that bad." Harry defends himself, crossing his arms over his chest. "It was just poorly delivered."

"I don't think I ever want to hear you meow ever again in my entire life."

"Hey!" Harry kicks Louis' chair which makes the smaller man break into laughter. "Get to work and stop coming at my neck about my awesome jokes, you hater."

"I'm just saying, I don't know how Astrid survived that long if your jokes have always been like this."

Louis hadn't even realized what he said as he continued to flip through his textbook. It wasn't until he noticed how silent Harry got did he recall his last words. He quickly looks up and sees Harry pinching his bottom lip as he looked at the ground, his mind seeming to have gone in a different place.

"I'm sorry." Louis whispers softly, his fingers folding together nervously. They haven't mentioned the girl since the night Harry confessed his love. "I didn't mean to bring her up."

Harry's eyes dart to Louis' and they were filled with confusion. "Hey, it's okay. You don't need to apologize at all, you didn't do anything wrong."

"You just go so quiet and you looked like you were lost in your thoughts and I don't want you to regret choosing me--"

"Woah, woah, woah." Harry stops Louis from going any further and leans forward in his chair. "Listen to me because I'm going to make this very clear. I will never, ever regret choosing you. I chose you because I love you, there wasn't much of a choice to begin with anyway. Astrid and I are done, she broke up with me and I have accepted that for awhile now."

Harry grabs Louis' hands and slowly rubs his thumbs in slow circles against his skin. "I don't want her and I didn't for awhile but I just didn't realize it because she took up years of my life that I will never forget." He brings Louis' hands to his lips and kisses them gently.

"But you are my present and future and that's what I'm looking forward to. You are what matters so don't ever doubt your worth or your place in my life because you have always been my top priority."

Louis smiles widely and pushes off his chair to get closer to Harry's face. "Thank you for telling me this. It really takes a load off my shoulders." He whispers and slips his hands out of Harry's to grasp his cheeks instead. "You mean just as much to me and I'm so excited to see what you have in store for me."

"I'm going to rock your world." Harry tells him proudly, winking at him. Louis makes a sound that was in between a snort and a cackle, but it was still beautiful.

"Shut up, you dork. I need to study and you're distracting me."

"Okay, okay don't worry because you know this. I know you do."

 

***

 

Harry was wrong. He was so wrong, he did not know this. He didn't know anything which is why he was laying on the ground, screaming into his hands. Harry was hysterically laughing on the floor next to him, a hand on his stomach as he watched Louis roll around screaming.

"What w-was the risky investing practice that u-ultimately led to the stock market crash of 19...29?" Harry wheezes out in between his laughter, loving the way Louis' face scrunched up in intense perplexity.

"I don't know!" Louis wails while sitting up from where he was laying, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Why is this so hard?!"

"Did you pay attention at all in class the last few weeks?"

"Uhm.. no."

"Well there's your reason!" Harry chuckles and pushes himself up into a sitting position. "How about we bribe you?" He suggests as Louis crawls towards him, climbing onto Harry's lap.

"What are you going to bribe me with? Candy?" Louis jokes as he slips his fingers through Harry's hair at the back of his head. "No thanks, I'm good."

Harry stops Louis before his boyfriend could lean in to kiss him, his mouth twisting up into a grin. "Kisses." Is all he says, wiggling his eyebrows afterwards.

Louis frowns and tilts his head to the left, staring into Harry's mischievous eyes. "You're going to bribe me with kisses?"

"Yep! I won't kiss you unless you get a question right. And if you get one wrong, you don't get one. Simple, right?"

"What do I get if I get them all right?"

"You get a passing grade and you get to make out with your wonderful boyfriend."

"Okay, deal!"

 

***

 

"What was the cause of the severe drop in employment in the late 1920s and early 1930s?"

"Demand for expensive items like cars and appliances began to dry up causing factories to lay off unneeded laborers."

Harry leaned in and placed his lips against Louis' in a quick kiss. "Good job, baby. What actions did President Herbert Hoover take in an effort to get the country out of the Great Depression?"

"He worked to keep wages high, increased federal spending, expanded the Federal Farm Board, blocked immigration, and..." He trailed off as he tried to remember the last one, his hand slapping Harry's knee. "And raised tariffs!"

Harry threw the paper to the side and pushed his boyfriend onto the ground, crawling on top of him. "You got them all right!" He cheers while attacking Louis' face with wet kisses that had the smaller man giggling. "I told you that you knew it!"

"Yeah, I just needed some motivation." Louis grins and slides his arms around Harry's neck, pulling his boyfriend down more. "I believe I was promised a makeout session?"

"Hm, I do recall that agreement being made."

Harry put a strong hand on the back of Louis' head, his other hand slipping to the thigh that was being wrapped around him. He gently pressed their noses together, breaths mingling before he turned his head ever so slightly, their lips meeting.

Louis immediately closed his eyes at the feel of Harry's soft lips against his, hooking his other leg around Harry's waist. Harry opened his mouth, tongue slipping into Louis' with little resistance. Harry allowed Louis to pull him down, their chests touching as their lips moved together. Louis found his hands creeping down Harry's back to grip at his shirt, the fabric wrinkling.

A soft sound was pulled from Louis' mouth when Harry's hands squeezed his thighs, their bodies connecting like magnets. He pressed his tongue to the roof of Harry's mouth before flicking it against his, the younger male grunting. "You're going to be the death of me," Harry whispered onto Louis' swollen lips.

Louis giggled so softly which earned him a few more pecks to his lips. "If you die, who will I kiss then?" He teases just before Harry's mouth covered his own again, erasing any thoughts that threatened to cross his mind. Harry's moans came out raspy with gentle cracks and small gasps. Louis couldn't help but tug on the locks that belonged to his boyfriend just so he could hear them again. Louis made sure to keep his thighs wrapped around him to stay grounded.

He sucked on Harry's bottom lip, licking over it. Their noses bumped into each other when Harry tilted his head to the right, sucking on Louis' tongue which had the man arching. Harry groaned and pressed his fingertips into Louis' exposed thighs as his shorts rode up. He allowed himself another moment to enjoy the way Louis' body squirmed against his before he pulled his head back.

"We really need to stop." Harry says in between a breathless chuckle. Louis nodded slowly, his chest heaving as he tried to stop the room from spinning. Harry laughs softly, brushing hair away from Louis' face. "Are you okay, blue?"

"Your lips are sin and I think I'm addicted." Was all Louis managed to say as their eyes connect in a heated stare. Harry nodded a few times, his gaze darting down to Louis' lips then back up to his eyes.

He leaned down to quickly kiss his puffy lips. "Me too, baby." He kissed him again, leaving them there a moment longer. "Let's head back to my room, I have an early lecture." He helps Louis stand up, brushing any dust off his small boyfriend. He takes Louis' face in his so their eyes meet, lips pulled into small smiles.

"I love you, blue."

"And I love you, darling."


	20. 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!! I hope you all like this chapter!

 

Louis was walking down the hall to his next class when a hand grabs his. For a fraction of a second, Louis considers whipping around to punch the person who was bold enough to touch him. But he pauses when he feels the familiar caress of Harry's hair against Louis' cheek when the taller man bends down to peck his jaw.

"What class do you have right now?" Harry asks as he uses his hands to twist Louis' body around so they're facing each other. Louis flutters his lashes when he blinks, his head tilting to look up at his taller boyfriend.

"I have my developmental psychology class in like ten minutes, why?"

"I wanted to know if you'd like to go to that light show tonight?" Louis nods his head in excitement, his lips parting slightly when Harry presses two quick kisses to both his cheeks. He giggles and grasps the sides of Harry's jacket that he was wearing, earning him another kiss to his forehead.

"You're so affectionate today, what's going on?" Louis asks him while standing up on his toes to kiss Harry's puckered lips. The younger male kisses him for a moment longer before pulling away to reply.

"I just missed you that's all, is it bad?" Louis shakes his head and wraps his arms around Harry's neck, playing with the small hairs at the nape of his neck. A shudder attacks Harry's body at the touch and Louis can't help the smirk that takes over his face.

"Nope, not bad at all. What time are we going to the show?"

Louis unwraps his arms from Harry's neck when he sees the time, starting to walk down the hall again. Harry follows after him, his wrist in Louis' grasp as the small male drags him along. "I was thinking we can go when it gets dark? Maybe around eight or something."

"Okay, that's fine with me. I finish my game at six so that gives me time to get ready." Harry laces his fingers in between Louis' and squeezes his hand gently. "Do you think you can make it to my game? It's my last one before the championship game." Louis swings their hands back and forth which makes Harry smile at the cute gesture.

"I'm sorry baby, I wish I could but Malik has me working late to finish this project we have to present at next weeks convention." Harry lies, running his thumb over the back of Louis' hand. "I promise I'll make it to the next game."

"Oh, well that's okay then. Let me know how that goes." Louis smiles as he tries to hide his disappointment, turning to face him again when he gets to his classroom. "I have to go now but I'll text you, okay?"

"Alright blue, I love you." Harry whispers as he framed Louis' face with his hands, leaning in to press their lips together. Their noses bump into each other and it has Louis giggling into Harry's mouth but the taller man didn't mind. They kissed slowly for a few seconds before Louis finally pulls away.

"I'll see you soon."

"Bye honey."

 

***

 

"So he's not coming to our game tonight?" Niall asks in confusion while they walk towards the field. Louis shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair as he steps over a large stick.

"He said he has to work on some big project for Professor Malik." He explains in a mumble, picking at some lint that was on his uniform. "It's whatever, I understand so I'm not that upset. It's not our last game ever so it's okay."

Niall hums with a frown, not liking the sad tone to Louis' voice. He takes his phone out and shoots a quick text to Liam to investigate. "Don't worry Louis, it'll be okay."

 

***

 

Liam was in his dorm when he got a text from Niall, reading over it with a frown. He pushes himself out of his bed and pushes his feet into his slides, going towards the door. He decides not to wait on the elevator and takes the stairs two at a time until he was at Harry's floor. He pulls the door open and steps out into the hall, turning to the right.

Once he was in front of Harry's door, he knocked on it twice. He taps his hands against his thigh, patiently waiting for an answer. It took awhile for the door to open but when it does, Liam was genuinely shocked by the sight in front of him.

Harry was standing with a trash bag taped over his clothes covered in glitter. On his face was blue and green paint with a large patch of the same glitter. His hair was disheveled and he had tape stuck to it. He smiles sheepishly and waves his hand that had a marker glued to it. "Hey."

Liam's jaw had dropped when he saw Harry and it only took him a second to burst into hysterical laughter. "Oh my god!" He exclaims as he bends over, his arms wrapped over his stomach. "What the actual fuck!?" He wheezes when he sees a multitude of stickers stuck to the bottom of Harry's foot.

"It's not funny!" Harry complains while throwing the roll of tape in his hands at Liam. The man barely blocks it as he falls to his ass, laughter loud and boisterous. "I wanted to surprise Louis so I made this huge poster for him and I was decorating it but it's harder than it looks."

"How did you glue a fucking marker to your hand?" Liam manages to get out as he wipes away his tears. "That was the best thing I have seen all day."

"I'm just trying to be a good boyfriend but being artistic is hard." Harry frowns and leaves the door open for Liam to come in as he walks back to his project. There was a large poster board laying in the middle of his dorm with "GO LOUIS!" written across the top and his number at the bottom in glitter. There were poorly drawn green and blue hearts scattered around with an occasional smiley face. Along one side Harry had scrawled "I LOVE YOU!" and the other side had "I'M DATING THE CAPTAIN" with multiple stickers around it.

Overall, it was really adorable and Liam knew Louis was going to love it. He claps his hand on Harry's back and grins at him. "Now all you need to do is get a jersey with his number on it." Harry's eyes brighten and he races to his closet, throwing it open.

"I already got it! It has his last name and number on it. It also says #1 Fan!" Harry says excitedly while turning around for Liam to see the jersey. Liam chuckled and crossed his arms, his lips curled into an amused smile. Louis was going to cry when he saw this.

 

***

 

Louis was bolting down the field as fast as he could, his eyes set on the ball. His chest was heaving and there was definitely sweat dripping down his back but he didn't care. This game was against Kingsman and he was not going to let them win. He pumped his legs as he got closer to the guy that had the ball and darted his eyes around to see his closest teammate.

He noticed Andrew running along with him but on the opposite side and whistled. His head snapped up and Louis nods at him, Andrew nodding back to let him know he understood. Louis refocused his attention on the ball that got passed to another guy. He jumped over someone who fell and almost stumbled but caught himself, racing after the ball.

When he was close enough he checked to see if Andrew was in position, their eyes connecting again. Finally Louis threw himself forward, sliding across the grass as he swiftly stole the ball from underneath the guy's feet. The player stumbled over the sudden steal as Louis quickly pushed himself up. He tossed the ball up with his foot and then jumped, kicking it as hard as he could towards Andrew who quickly bounced it off his chest.

Louis hit the ground again, his arm stinging at the impact but when he saw Andrew running down the field back to their own goal it was worth it. He got up again, brushing his hair away from his face as he huffed. He saw his coach following Andrew as he ran, his arms flailing in excitement.

"Louis!" The smaller man whipped his head around when he heard his name and scanned the bleachers for who it was. A loud gasp fell from his lips when he saw Harry standing in front of the bleachers with a large poster in his hands. His hair was pulled back with a scarf and he had face paint matching the school colors across his cheeks.

He was waving the poster frantically, his green eyes wide and his smile blindling. "I love you, Louis!" He hears Harry shout before he dropped the poster, turning around. Louis covered his mouth when he saw the jersey and felt tears prickling the corner of his eyes. Fuck, he was so lucky.

Loud cheering erupted which dragged Louis' attention away from his beaming boyfriend. Andrew had passed the ball to Salvatore who slammed it into the net, giving them another goal. "Crush them, baby!" Harry screams with his hands cupped over his mouth. Louis sniffled and blew him a kiss with shaky hands before he took off running, determined to win just to see Harry's proud smile.

 

***

 

Harry was watching the game intently, his eyes following his beautiful boyfriend. The game was coming to an end but the two teams were tied. One more goal and either team could win. There was tension between the two schools as they anxiously watched. Harry had no doubt Winmore was going to win because they had Louis on their team.

"Harry?"

The biology major freezes when he hears a familiar voice, slowly turning around to see Astrid standing behind him. "Holly?" He breathed, his eyes growing twice their size. He hasn't seen his ex-girlfriend since the day he was at her dorms. But there she stood just a couple feet away from him with a soft smile on her face. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and she had face paint with her school colors on her cheeks. Her freckles were prominent and her hazel eyes were glowing.

"It's been awhile, Hazza."

"Wow..." He shakes his head and lunges forward, wrapping her in a tight hug. "I'm so shocked, I didn't expect you to be here. You always hated going to the soccer games." She giggled as Harry pulled away, tucking her own hair behind her ear.

"Yeah I know but when I found out it was against Winmore, I had to come because I wanted to see you."

"How've you been? I know it hasn't been that long but things can change." He chuckles as Astrid stuffs her hands in her pockets.

"I've been good, really good actually. The hospital has been getting better and I really love it there, I'm hoping I can secure a place there."

"We both know you will, you're amazing. They'd be dumb not to have you on their team."

Astrid blushes and ducks her head, biting down on her lip. "Yeah I hope so... anyway, how are you?" Her eyes fall on the poster behind him, her eyebrows raising. "You and Louis are dating?"

"Oh." Harry rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, we started dating like two weeks ago." He dropped his hand as he turned his head to look back at the field. His eyes immediately caught sight of Louis who was running the ball down the field to their goal. "It still seems so unreal to me."

Astrid pressed her lips together and fiddled with the necklace around her neck. "How has that been for you?" She asks softly, noticing the way Harry watched Louis with so much fondness. The way he never looked at her in the three years they were together.

"It's been great." He says while flickering his gaze back to her. "It's been really fucking great, each day is like a new adventure. Sometimes it's weird, you know? I wake up and it hits me that I'm actually dating a guy and it's weird but then it just fades and I'm like... I'm not dating just any guy, you know? It's Louis, I'm dating Louis and that makes everything feel okay again."

He smiles when he finishes, the thought of Louis making his stomach flip. He lifts his gaze to look at her again, seeing a pained look on her face. "Oh shit, Holly. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be telling you this."

"No. It's okay because I asked. I knew what I was getting myself into." She takes a deep breath before slowly smiling. "I'm really happy for you, Hazza. I wanted you to be happy and seeing you now, I can tell I made the right choice."

 

***

 

Louis ran towards his boyfriend after the game ended, adrenaline rushing through his veins. Harry smiled widely and opened his arms, catching his small lover when he jumped on him. "We won, baby! We really won!" Louis screams happily as Harry spins them around.

"We fucking won, blue! You did it!"

Harry's mouth was attacked by Louis' a second later, their eyes slipping shut as they kissed. Harry gripped Louis' thighs tightly as small fingers slid into his hair. They kissed messily, forgetting about everyone around them as they basked in their moment. After a minute Louis pulled back, gasping for air.

"Thank you for coming." Louis smiled and Harry felt like he was staring at an angel, looking into the deepest parts of heaven. "I was so happy when I saw you, I almost fainted in pure excitement. It was such a nice surprise."

"Well I'm glad you liked it." Harry grinned and pecked Louis' lips. "I wouldn't miss this game for the world."

He giggled and rubbed his thumb across Harry's cheekbone, feeling so happy. "The poster was amazing, by the way." Louis told me, looking away from Harry when he saw someone approach them. "I loved—oh shit." His eyes widen when he sees Astrid.

"What is it?" Harry asks in concern as Louis scrambled off of him. "What's going on–oh." He nods his head when he sees Astrid, Louis' reaction making sense. "Surprise, Astrid came."

Louis glared at Harry and shoved him, making the man stumble. Hary just laughed in response and wrapped an arm around Louis' shoulder as Astrid got closer. "Hi Louis." She greets him with a smile. He nervously smiled back and did a weird wave that made him want to jump off a cliff.

"Hi Astrid, i-it's nice to see you again."

"Same to you, darling." She stepped forward and took Louis' hands in hers, squeezing them gently. "Congratulations on the win, I know it meant a lot to you."

"It did, thank you." He examined her hands, seeing beautiful rings on pale skin. "I was so nervous because it was a big game for Winmore."

"But you did great, blue." Harry piped in, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "You made the team proud."

"Thank you." Louis' cheek colored red as he felt Astrid rub her thumb over his knuckles.

"I have to go now, my ride is waiting for me but I wanted to say hi to you." Astrid tells him, pulling him from under Harry so she could hug him. Louis hugs her, feeling as if he was going to throw up by how nervous he was. "Thank you for making him happy, it's all I ever wanted." She whispers, making his ears ring.

She pulled away and smiled once more before walking away, waving at them. Harry waves back as he wrapped his arm back around his frozen boyfriend. "See that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Harry teases, getting punched a second later. "Hey! Stop abusing me!"

"You could have warned me!"

"I thought it would have been a nice surprise."

"I almost blew chunks!"

Astrid watched the couple bicker from where she stood, a sad smile on her face. She'll always love Harry but seeing his face glow even as Louis scolded him was worth any pain. She turns away when Harry kisses the smaller man to calm him, a soft sigh slipping out. They were soulmates and Astrid could have never succeeded in keeping them apart.

 

***

 

The elevator opens and Louis shuffles inside, sniffling from the cold as he rubbed his numb hands together. A tall body follows him inside and a cold hand made its way to the back of his neck. Louis tilts his head back to look at Harry before he presses the 4.

"Did you like the light show?" Harry questions as he nuzzles into Louis' neck, the elevator doors slipping shut. Louis shivers and turns around to face Harry, burrowing into his body. "It was so cold but I loved it a lot, it was beautiful." Louis replied before he presses a kiss to the dip of his collarbone.

"You're beautiful."

"Shut up, you sap."

Louis' giggles was muffled by Harry's mouth as they kissed sweetly. It was cold and both men were shivering, bodies pressing together for warmth but neither of them would have changed a thing.


	21. 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment! This is just a sweet little chapter with lots of fluff.

 

Louis was sitting in the library trying to study for his last exam of the week. He had papers scattered around with multiple colors of highlighters, pens, and sticky notes. He was nose deep into his textbook, trying to retain as much information as possible. He was trying his best to focus, knowing he needs to pass this class but he was getting distracted.

For the last ten minutes, he could hear someone listening to music somewhere in the area. He tried to push it aside so he could study this last chapter but it progressively got harder to do. He sighs and ruffles his hair, ready to rip it out in frustration.

It wasn't until he heard the faint lyrics of, "You're such a fuckin' ho, I love it," that he finally snapped. He quickly pushes his chair back and stands, his eyes darting around the area. He spotted a hooded figure across the room, his head down so Louis couldn't see his face. He huffs and walks around the desk, stomping his way over to him.

When he was close enough, he stopped and tapped the man's shoulder. There was no response for a few seconds so Louis tapped harder, jamming his finger into his shoulder as hard as he could. The person jumped up, his headphones falling from his ears. "Excuse me asshole, I can hear your music from across the damn room and I'm—Harry?"

The man had turned around and revealed the familiar face he's become so accustomed to. He looked confused and disoriented, obviously having just woke up. "Louis? What are you doing here?" He rasps out while rubbing at his eyes. "Why did you poke me so hard?"

"God Harry, this is ridiculous." Louis groans and rubs his hands down his face. "I was trying to study but I could hear your damn music from across the room and really—you're a Kanye fan?"

"What no, I just put a random playlist on shuffle so I could go to sleep. I was trying to study but I'm too tired to actually focus."

"Why don't you sleep in your dorm, idiot?"

"I was too lazy to walk all the way to the dorms."

Louis sighs in exasperation, slipping his hand to the back of Harry's head. The man craned his neck to look up at his boyfriend as he got closer, his green eyes studying his beautiful face. "You shouldn't listen to music that loud, baby. You'll damage your ears." Louis reprimands him while gently rubbing his fingertips against Harry's scalp.

The man's eyes slipped shut at the calming feeling, a soft sigh escaping past his lips. He really was so tired. He stayed up late talking to Astrid who was having a hard time with her new lab project. "Poor baby, you're really exhausted aren't you?" Louis coos while leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead.

Harry nods slowly and gently tugs his boyfriend closer until Louis was successfully on his lap. Small arms locked around his neck and he pressed his nose into the soft skin of Louis' throat. "I was up pretty late and it's my fault but yeah, I'm so fucking tired."

"Why were you up so late?"

"Astrid called me in hysterics." Harry squeezes his thigh when Louis' hand stops carding through his hair. "It was about this important project she's doing that's worth a lot. I just helped calm her down until she was stable enough to vent. Then I helped her with research before I eventually knocked out."

"Oh." Louis licked over his lips, feeling Harry nuzzle his nose against a fading hickey painted on his skin. "How long were you on the phone with her?"

"Mm, like three or four hours."

Louis' lip twitched and he spread his fingers out so it covered the nape of Harry's neck. "That's nice. Is she okay now?"

"I have no idea. I haven't called her because I was trying to study and then I fell asleep. I didn't plan on calling her tonight though because it's movie night."

Harry pulls his head back so their eyes finally connect, seeing so many emotions swirling within those ocean eyes. "You can call her if you need to, we'll do movie night tomorrow." Louis mumbles while rubbing his thumb over Harry's cheek.

"No." The taller man shakes his head and slips his hands under Louis' shirt, his boyfriend arching at the coldness of his skin. This is why he didn't want to tell Louis in the first place because he knew he felt guilty and would push Harry to spend as much time with Astrid. But it's not what he wanted, they were over and done with. He wanted his time to be spent with Louis.

"What do you mean no?"

"Just no. Movie night is a sacred tradition that I will not break. You're more important than anything, baby. And seeing you get excited as you pick the newest movie to watch is something I'm not willing to give up."

Louis blushes profusely, his shaky hand moving to cover Harry's mouth. He ducks his head so their foreheads were touching and closes his eyes. "Don't say stuff like that or you're gonna make me fall in love."

Harry grinned behind Louis' hand, using his own to pull it away so he could speak. "Go ahead and fall, I'll be at the bottom to catch you." Louis groans and licks the tip of Harry's nose which makes the younger male laugh.

"Shut up, you're making my stomach do stupid flips."

"Good, let's keep it that way."

They smile at each other, Louis' hands framing Harry's face. "You look so beautiful today." He whispers to Louis, his eyes scanning over all his features. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Maybe you were a good person in your past life." Louis teases, pressing his thumbs into his jawline. "Reincarnation rewarding you for saving 100 people from some poisonous snakes."

Harry chuckles and creeps his hand up to Louis' head, bringing his boyfriend closer to him. "Whatever it was, I'm so fucking thankful." He whispers before their lips connect in a soft kiss. Louis slides his fingers into Harry's curls, basking in the familiar taste of mint. Yeah, he was definitely thankful.

 

***

 

Harry placed the tray of food in front of his boyfriend, dropping a kiss to the top of his head before he sits down. Louis smiles and pecks his jaw as a greeting, his hand immediately reaching for the fries. "Thanks babe." He murmured while dipping four fries into the little cup of ketchup.

"Is it good?" Harry asks as he unfolds his chicken caesar wrap, adding some ranch inside. "I told them to put a little extra salt for you."

"It's so good." Louis hums while getting another handful, drenching it in ketchup before he shoves it in his mouth. Harry grins and picks up his own food again, rewrapping it until he was satisfied. He brings it up to his mouth and bites into it, humming in approval at the taste.

Louis was already halfway through his fries, chomping down on the fried potatoes in happiness. Harry shifts his gaze to his boyfriend as he chews, letting out a snort at the sight before him. Louis was eating with his mouth closed, eyes focused on something away from the table. But around his lips was a good amount of ketchup smeared onto his skin.

"Jesus blue, you're such a mess." Harry says in between a laugh as he reaches to grab a napkin from the dispenser. Louis pauses mid-chew, cheeks puffed from the shitload of fries residing in his mouth. He blinks up at Harry when the man tilts his head, feeling the napkin before he sees it. Harry kisses his temple as he wipes the ketchup off, smiling in amusement.

"Oh thank you, I didn't even notice it was there."

"Of course you didn't, your skin is so accustomed to shit getting all over your face when you eat that your brain stopped sending signals." Harry teases him, getting pushed away a second later. "Oh come on, you know it's true!"

"You're so rude." Louis huffs and starts to eat his food again, ignoring the way Harry starts kissing down his jawline. "I like to thoroughly enjoy my food."

"And there's nothing wrong with that." Harry tells him after rubbing the tip of his nose over his neck. Louis harrumphed and finally turned to look at Harry again, puckering his lips for a kiss.

The taller man gladly obliged and slides their lips together gently. Louis places his hand on the side of Harry's face, pressing his lips harder against the man's. The kiss was slow and sweet, sending a multitude of tingles down his spine. Harry definitely knew how to kiss and Louis was ready to get on his knees to thank the gods for blessing him with this perfect man.

"Mm." Harry licked over Louis' bottom lip before he started to pull away. "Finish eating so we can get to class. We'll save this for tonight." Louis giggles and kisses his pink lips one last time before he starts to eat again. He was so happy!

 

***

 

"What movie do you want to watch this time?"

"Why do I have to pick every time? You know I get nervous under pressure."

"It's just a movie, blue."

"But Harry!"

"Hey." Harry grasps Louis' chin between two fingers, tilting his head so their eyes connected. "Why do you raise your voice at me, my love? Have I been nothing but patient with you?"

Louis pouts and bumps his nose into Harry's, sliding his hands to hold onto his wide wrists. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to." He whispers as Harry places a series of baby kisses to his pink lips. He rubbed his cheek against Harry's as the man wrapped him in his arms.

"Now, would you like me to help you pick?"

"Yes, please."

Harry chuckles and shifts Louis' body so he was sitting on Harry's lap. Louis rested his head on Harry's shoulder, eyes on the computer screen as his boyfriend went into his Netflix. "Okay so let's start with a genre."

"Mm, I'm in the mood for a comedy."

"Alright." Harry clicks on the genre as he rubs Louis' thigh. "Now do you want to watch a romantic comedy or just a comedy?"

"Just a comedy."

"Cool. A movie we've already watched or a new one?"

"New one."

Harry grins and presses his fingers into the supple skin, putting the mouse over a movie. "How about Bruce Almighty? It's been out for awhile now but I know you never watched it."

"Sounds good to me."

"See, that wasn't so bad."

Louis giggles and nuzzles into Harry's neck, watching the movie start. "Thank you for being so sweet." He whispers, knowing that sometimes he can be a pain in the ass.

"You're a pain in the ass sometimes but I'll do anything to make you happy."

Louis pauses as he contemplates if Harry can somehow hear his thoughts but pushes it aside. "Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

"One or two times." Harry jokes which makes Louis smile widely. 

"I love you."

"I love you too, baby."


	22. 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. Please leave kudos and comment!! It's short but I think you'd guys would like this one a lot. Thank you!!!

 

Louis was sitting in the square waiting for Harry to come meet him so they could go to the movies. He was staring down at his phone, scrolling through instagram to kill time. There were a lot of picture of couples dressed for Halloween and he was definitely going to convince Harry to let him choose their costumes. He had just liked the picture of a couple dressed as a vagine and a penis when a shadow appeared in front of him.

He looked up to see a boy that looked familiar but he couldn't tell who he was. "Uhm, can I help you?" He asked slowly as the boy smiled at him. He got closer and took the spot next to Louis, eyes shining.

"It's Matt. From developmental psychology?"

"Oh, yeah yeah." Louis nods as if he remembers him but in reality he doesn't. "Can I do something for you, do you need something or?" He trails off as he waits for the reason this guy was here smiling like a weirdo. Louis had better things to do with his life.

"A date with you." He says cheekily, his smile widening. Louis presses his lips together, knowing that this kid probably thought he was so smooth. "Think you can make that possible?"

"Uhm no." Louis laughs and runs a hand through his hair. "I have a boyfriend, buddy. You're a little too late."

"I'm sure I can treat you better than whoever you're fucking."

"First of all, that is completely inappropriate. My personal relationship is none of your fucking business. You have no right to say that." Louis scoffs and stands up to leave, picking up his bag.

"Hey, don't just walk away from me like that."

Matt grabbed Louis' hand to stop him from leaving, making the man whip around. "Don't fucking touch me!" He exclaims while trying to pull his hand from Matthew's grip.

"Then don't walk away! I'm trying to have a conversation with you."

"You can't force me to have a conversation if I don't want to, asshole."

"Don't you fucking talk to me that way." Matthew hisses as he yanks Louis closer to him, the man stumbling over his own two feet at the force. "Who do you think you are?"

"I swear to god if you don't let go of me." Louis starts to threaten as he gets in Matthew's face. "You'll fucking regret it."

"Oh yeah, what are you going to do?" Matthew laughs while tightening his grip on Louis' hand. "Slap me? Oo, I'm scared."

Louis opens his mouth to reply but pauses when he looks behind Matt. His lips curl into a smile and he stares at Matt with a smug look. The agitated boy looked at Louis in confusion, lifting his hand to roughy grip his chin. "What the fuck are you—"

He was cut off by a finger tapping his shoulder. He sighs heavily and releases Louis' face, turning to look behind him. He raises his brows when he sees a man with green eyes standing an inch away from him, a blank look on his face. "Can I help you, bro? I'm in the middle of something here."

Harry didn't reply and instead glanced at his boyfriend. He saw the redness on Louis' chin from Matthew's grip and noticed the tight hold he had on Louis' hand. "Excuse me, jackass. I was talking to you."

Harry cut his eyes to Matt and before anyone could really comprehend the sudden motion, Mathew was laying on the ground. Harry's first was clenched and his knuckles were already tinted red from how hard he hit Matt. He quickly got on top of the guy, punching him again right in his nose. "Don't you ever fucking lay a hand on my boyfriend again." Harry gripped his shirt and lifted the guy up, his eyes wide and filled with anger. "Do you fucking hear me?!"

Matthew was bleeding from his nose and his mouth, his face scrunched up in pain. "I didn't know he was your boyfriend." He cries out as Louis covers his mouth when Harry slams his fist into Matt's cheek, his knuckles now bleeding.

"Harry! Baby, that's enough. He learned his lesson." Louis quickly stepped in, shuffling to his boyfriend when Harry goes to hit him again. "That's enough, I don't need you getting arrested." He whispers into his ear, arms wrapped around his shoulders.

Harry clenches his jaw as he curls his fingers, feeling the numbness take over. There was so much anger coursing through him, he felt like killing this fucking bastard. Small hands gently touched the sides of his face as Louis hugged him from behind. "Please Harry, no more."

"You're fucking lucky my boyfriend is more merciful than me. You'd be six feet under just for talking to him, asshole. Stay away from Louis and keep your damn hands to yourself before you lose them." Harry hisses, shoving him into the ground. He stands a second later, ignoring the crying man as he turns to face Louis.

"Let's go." He says gruffly, gently taking hold of Louis' arm as he walks away. His boyfriend quickly followed, briefly glancing back to see Matt slowly get up as he held his nose, tears running down his cheeks. "Don't look at him, look forward." Harry orders which makes Louis snap his head around, hiding his face into Harry's arm as they walked towards the dorms.

When they got to Harry's dorm, Ronaldo was just leaving with Rebecca under his arm. The girl smiled at Louis who momentarily smiled back before he was pulled into the room by Harry, the door closing. His boyfriend let go of him as he started to pace the room, his bottom lip pinched between his fingers.

Louis shuffled to the bed, sitting down on top of it. His legs slowly swung back and forth as he watched Harry walk in circles. He noticed that his boyfriend had started to change recently. Not in any particular way that was bad or harmful towards Louis, but something definitely changed. He was slowly getting more protective, possessive, in a way. His jealousy issues were through the roof, any guy in contact with Louis was a threat to him.

Harry never did anything unless provoked and he never, ever took it out on Louis. But he would always be visibly upset and after that, something always happened. It was different each time and it was extremely hard for Louis to explain. He guesses it was a way for Harry to calm down and safely release his jealousy.

"How could he fucking touch you like that?" Harry's booming voice scared Louis who was pulled from his thoughts. His boyfriend was now standing in the middle of the room, facing Louis. "What made him think he had any right to touch you? I should fucking kill him!" Louis bites his lip at Harry's growl, his fingers pressing together.

"To see him grab you like that I—" Harry pulled on his hair in frustration, eyes heated and blazing. "I should have did more than a busted lip. Should have broke his fucking face." He rubs his hands down his face, taking a deep breath as he tried to stay calm enough to not punch the wall.

Louis sucked his teeth and scooted closer to the edge of the bed, his arms opening up. "Baby come here." Harry's eyes darted to him and Louis saw a flood of different emotions fill the gems. "Come here, please." He quietly requests, his fingers curling and straightening. It took Harry another second before he actually moved.

He dragged his feet towards his small boyfriend, finding himself being enveloped in his arms. He bent his knees so he could slip his arms around Louis' body, his face immediately finding his neck. Louis slid his fingers into Harry's hair, tightly grasping the brown strands as he feels Harry's tongue touch his skin.

He shivered at the surprising wetness, his arms tightening around Harry. He felt pressure being pushed on him until he was finally on his back, Harry on top of him. The taller man's body was resting between his legs as he felt kisses being peppered to his neck. He gasps softly when he felt a smooth roll of Harry's hips against his, fingers grasping his shirt.

He wrapped his legs around Harry's waist, crinkling the frabric underneath his hands when Harry grinds his hips again. "Ah." Louis gasps, eyes rolling back when his boyfriend roughly bites down onto his skin. His back curves and that causes their cocks to slide over each other through their jeans, making both men moan.

"Fuck, you're mine." Harry groans into the sweet skin he was chewing and sucking on. He wanted to irritate and mark his skin so everyone would know who Louis belonged to. It was a dangerous thought but it was all he could think about recently. "No one else will touch you, you understand me?"

Louis was unable to respond as Harry rolled his hips a certain way that had him shuddering. "Do you fucking understand me?" Harry growls as he grips Louis' chin with two fingers, tilting his head up. His boyfriend's mouth fell open in a moan and he dug his nails into Harry's t-shirt.

"Yes, yes." Louis sobs, feeling so close to his orgasm with Harry's quick grinds turning his mind to mush. "I'm yours—" He gasps at the suction on his jawline, "Fuck, I'm yours." His head is thrown back, making Harry drag his lips down to Louis' throat as he thrusted against his boyfriend.

Louis couldn't help but realize if they were to remove their pants, they'd be having sex. And god—he didn't realize how badly he wanted Harry's cock in him. "Baby, please please." Louis begs when he feels himself teetering to the edge, Harry's body moving frantically against his as he sank his teeth into smooth skin.

Louis cries out as he comes in his pants, body trembling lightly in Harry's strong hold. He could hear the groans and gasps falling from his boyfriend's mouth. He felt Harry pant into his neck before he froze, one hand grasping Louis' arm tightly as he came. Louis whimpered when Harry's weight came crashing down on him, the wetness of his pants extremely uncomfortable.

"Shit." Harry breathes after he finally gets his mind together, all thoughts of the previous issue out his head. Harry takes a moment to push up on his elbows, examining his panting lover. Louis had tears pricking the corner of his eyes, face flushed and sated. There were a total of four new hickey's that Harry left, a red patch from the area he bit. "You're so beautiful baby."

Louis blushes and bites down on his lip, his small hands slowly moving up to grasp the sides of Harry's face. "Kiss me." He whispers softly, getting his wish fulfilled a second later when Harry's mouth covered his own. Their lips moved slowly, enjoying the taste of each other as they fall from their high. Harry couldn't help by press his finger into the mark he left on Louis' jaw, loving the gasp he elicits. And if Harry brought his boyfriend to his second orgasm just by playing with his nipples, then no one had to know.

 

***

 

"Ow, that hurts." Harry hisses when Louis cleans his wound. His knuckles flex and he gets punched a second later. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For moving your hand again. Stay still, you big baby. You're almost done."

"Well it fucking hurts."

"No one told you to turn into a maniac and punch a guy."

"I did it in your honor." Harry huffs, hissing at the sting of his knuckles. "Sorry for wanting to protect you."

"I appreciate it, baby."

Louis tosses the disinfectant away and slowly starts to bandage Harry's hand. He rolled it carefully, wrapping it securely around his knuckles. He cuts off the strand and tapes it down, gently lifting Harry's hand up. He kisses the bandaged knuckles softly. "All done, my love."

"Thank you." Harry murmurs as he wraps his arms around Louis' body, pulling him closer. "I'd punch a guy for you any day." Louis laughs and kisses the tip of Harry's nose.

"I know."


	23. 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes or typos I may have made. I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I have a crazy work schedule and I just don't have the time but here's a quick one for you. I hope you all like it!! Please leave kudos and comment!

 

"How are you feeling, bubba?" Harry questions as he rubs his thumb over Louis' cheek. His older boyfriend sighs and leans into Harry's touch, squeezing his fingers around his large wrists.

"I'm so tired and my body is sore."

"It was a tough night for you. You went as hard as you could, I'm so proud of you."

"I didn't expect to fall that hard after that peak." Louis pouts and presses his face into Harry's wrist, gently inhaling his scent. "It hit me so suddenly." Harry chuckles and tangled his fingers into Louis' soft hair.

"At least you won." Harry refers to last night's big championship game. It was against a school called Yerds and it was a tough one. Winmore almost lost, they just barely managed to score another goal seconds before the buzzer went off. Louis fainted—literally fainted when he realized they won. Harry had been so worried and rushed across the field to him.

The medic on hand said he should be fine, he was just overwhelmed and dehydrated. Harry was proud of his boyfriend because he knew that game meant everything to him. When they got back to the dorms, Harry knew he should have kept Louis awake to massage his body. He knew he would have woken up with a sore and achy feeling but when he saw the sleepy smile, he couldn't help but cuddle him until he was asleep.

Now Louis is awake and wincing with every step he takes. Harry feels so bad but he knows Louis would cut his hand off if Harry tried to take care of him. "Baby?" Harry blinks rapidly and turns his attention to Louis who had a small smile on his face. "Are you okay?" He continues to ask while placing his smaller hand on Harry's cheek.

Harry grins and slowly nods his head before he leans in to press their lips together in a quick kiss. "I'm good, I'm just lost in my thoughts." He replies after a moment, slipping his hand behind Louis' head. His fingers tangle in the soft strands and he tilts Louis' head until his neck was exposed.

"Harry?" Louis softly questions as he strains to look at his boyfriend from the angle he was at. Harry didn't reply as he leaned in to press his lips to Louis' adam's apple, kissing it gently. It was gentle, so soft that he almost didn't feel it.

"Babe, why aren't you answering me?" Louis says in between a giggle when Harry started to suck on a area of his neck that was ticklish to him. Harry's hand slipped underneath Louis' shirt and the smaller man squealed at the coldness of his skin.

"So soft and pretty." Harry murmurs while skating his fingers down Louis' spine. "Love touching you." Louis laughed softly and darted his eyes around to see if anyone was witnessing this. When he saw no one, he snaked his arms around Harry's neck. "Give me a kiss, precious." His boyfriend requested and Louis complied, pressing his lips to Harry's.

They kissed slowly for a few seconds, enjoying the taste of each other. Harry moves his hand from under Louis' shirt to rest on his hip, tugging his boyfriend closer to him. After a moment, Louis slowly pulls away. He pants softly against Harry's parted mouth, both men trying to catch their breath.

"You're so sweet today, did you get any sleep?" Whenever Harry is tired, the tall man tends to get very affectionate and touchy with Louis because his mind is disoriented. It's one of Louis' favorite characteristics that he has because he loves when Harry's all over him, it makes him so happy.

"No." Harry sighs and brushes his finger over Louis' eyebrow. "Astrid called me and went on a rant so I stayed up to be there for her. She was going through shit."

Louis frowned at the new information, not liking what he heard. Harry has been talking to Astrid a lot lately and it's starting to bother him. He's aware that they're still friends and they've been friends for years but it's still weird. They broke up almost three months ago now but it's like they never did with how often they talk to each other and about each other. And maybe it's just Louis but exes don't do that, even the ones who are still friends.

"Is that why you couldn't come over last night?"

"Yeah I'm sorry baby, she was talking to me about school. She's stressed about a project."

"Harry, I needed you." Louis frowns and takes a step back. "My dad called and he went off on me about how I'm such a fucking disappointment and that he wishes I would quit soccer and become a lawyer like him." Harry's eyes widen when he hears this but Louis continues. "I was crying and I had a breakdown and I needed you. I told you it was extremely important and you didn't come over because you were talking to Astrid about a fucking school project?!"

"Louis you never told me it was about that! You told me you needed me to come over because it was important and you needed my help. If I had known it was about your dad, I would have came over immediately."

"That doesn't matter! Me saying that it was important and that I fucking needed you should have been enough." Louis retorts back as he pushes Harry's hand away when he tries to reach for him. His boyfriend pauses at the gesture before dropping his hand, a frown etched on his face. "Am I not as important as Astrid?"

"Fuck Louis, don't do that. Don't compare yourself to her."

"How can I not when you keep choosing her over me?"

"I'm with you! I'm dating you because I love you, I chose you over her, remember!?"

"Only because she broke up with you and because she helped you realize you liked me because you were too dense!" Louis exclaims as Harry ran a hand through his curls in frustration.

"Louis don't start this."

Louis pauses after Harry's warning, feeling his heart twist and plummet into his stomach. "Fine." He says softly, readjusting his book bag. "I'm going to be late for class. Have a good day, love you." He mumbles before moving to walk past Harry, dodging his attempt to grab him.

"Louis, baby come on." Harry calls out after the figure of his boyfriend walking away from him. He let's out a frustrated groan and runs his hands down his face. He didn't expect to get into an argument when he woke up this morning. He sighs and shakes his head before making his way to his own class. He'll have to catch up with Louis later.

 

***

 

Louis was sitting in the square with his laptop on his lap. He was typing an essay that was due tomorrow for his first class and he was stressed. He didn't get to work on it last night because after his mental breakdown, he cried himself to sleep. He rubs his eye with one hand before he continues to type, sighing heavily.

"Oh hey!" Louis looks up when he hears a voice. "I was just looking for you." Jonathan was standing in front of him with a smile. The smaller man was taken back by his sudden presence, that night in front of his dorm being the last time he saw the man.

"Oh hey, Jon. What did you need?" Louis asked with a small grin as the student crouched in front of him.

"I wanted to ask you a question about the project we have coming up in our class."

"Mhm, what about it?"

"Well I was confused on how he wants us to set up—oh wait don't move."

Louis freezes after the sudden order, watching as Jonathan's hand come closer to his face. He feels his fingertips brush against his face and for a split second he thinks there's a bug on him. "There was an eyelash on your cheek." Jonathan explains with a chuckle as he holds the eyelash on his pointer finger. "Make a wish then blow it."

Louis giggles before he closes his eyes, saying his wish in his head before he blows on Jonathan's finger. "There you go." Louis smiles and slowly blinks his eyes open, pausing when he sees Harry's figure standing behind Jonathan's unsuspecting form.

"What the fuck is going on?" Harry asks as he makes his way towards the two men. Jonathan stands up and turns around to face Harry. The taller man got close to him, his face twisted in anger. "Don't you ever touch my boyfriend again. Don't even get near him."

"Calm down man, I was just asking him a question when I saw an eyelash on his cheek. Nothing happened."

"I don't care." Harry scoffs and watches as Jonathan takes a step back. "I don't want you near him. Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend."

"You're not in charge of him and you can't stop me from talking to him, he has rights."

Harry smiles condescendingly and gets closer to Jonathan's face, his green eyes wide with jealousy. "I don't care, he can talk to whoever he wants except you, jackass. If I see you around him I will kick your ass. Back the fuck off."

Louis finally snaps out of his daze and stands up abruptly, a frown on his face. "Harry that's rude! He didn't do anything. Jonathan I'm so sorry." Louis says quickly while grabbing onto the taller man, pulling Harry closer to him. "You should just go."

Jonathan pauses, not keen on leaving him alone with Harry but eventually nods. He turns and walks away, shaking his head. Harry sighs and runs a hand through his hair, turning to face Louis. He's taken back by the angry look on Louis' face.

"What?"

"You had no right to snap on him! He did nothing wrong! He's a nice guy and all he wanted was help about a question."

"He was all on you, I wasn't gonna let that happen."

"You're such a fucking hypocrite!" Louis screeches, finally breaking the dam of emotions he was holding in. "You talk about Astrid all the time. You're on the phone with her every night for hours at a time! You don't like Jonathan because he was apparently all up on me when you and Astrid act like you never fucking broke up!" Louis throws his hands up in annoyance. "Get your shit together Styles because you have no idea what you're doing to me."

"What I'm doing? I'm not doing anything! Astrid and I are friends Louis, that's all we'll ever be. Why can't you fucking understand that?"

Louis was so grateful that there was no one else around because he would be so embarrassed to have people see him cry. He wipes the tears from his face and sniffles. "You don't get it Harry. I can never compare to her, even now. You say you chose me but in reality, you never let go of her and I can't do this shit anymore. I can't take it." Louis sobs and covers his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Baby." Harry's eyes were wide and filled with confusion as he tries to reach for his boyfriend. "Please don't cry, I don't get it. I don't know what you're talking about, Astrid and I are one hundred percent done. I'm with you and I love you." He manages to place his hand on Louis' cheek for a split second before he was pushed away.

"No don't touch me." Louis sniffles and rubs at his red eyes. "I don't want you to touch me right now, I'm so mad at you." He watches as Harry roughly gnaws on his lower lip. "You are there for her more than you're here for me. You chose to talk to her on the phone instead of comforting me when I needed you. You chose to talk about her instead of just enjoying my presence. I get it, she's fucking important to you and I'm being as open minded as I can but all I ask is to feel important too and I..." 

Louis breaks off as he chokes on a sob, placing a hand on his throat. "I just want to know I mean something to you but it's like you're still blinded by her and I can't fucking do this."

"Louis I—are you breaking up with me?" Harry manages to get out, his bottom lip wobbling as he tries to wrap his head around what's happening. "I just—I don't understand what's... please don't break up with me."

"I'm not, I just..." He sighs and wipes his tears. "I need some space. Until you can see what you're doing to me, I can't be around you. I don't ever want you to choose between me or Astrid because I'm scared you'd choose her in a heartbeat—"

"I wouldn't—"

"But I just want you to at least view me as someone of value to you."

"Louis—

"No, Harry. It's done." Louis cuts him off again as he gathers his things, more tears dripping down his face. "Just stay the fuck away from me until you get your act together. I don't know how much longer I can take this."

"Baby, please." Harry begs as he walks forward to grab him again. Louis rips himself away from Harry's grasp and backs away, shaking his head.

"Don't touch me." Louis tries to contain his emotions as he whips around, racing off towards his dorms leaving a confused and hurt Harry behind.


	24. 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile but here's the chapter you've all been waiting for!! Please leave kudos and comment!

****"Why don't you just talk to him?" Astrid asks as she twirls her hair around her finger. Harry sighs and taps his foot against the ground, eyes on the picture of Louis on his lock screen. "You didn't do anything wrong."

It's been a week since that day in the square and Harry was losing his mind. He keeps thinking of Louis and he wants to go see him, he wants to track him down and convince Louis to talk to him but he knows his feisty boyfriend would find a way to get away.

Astrid asked him to come over and talk since she noticed he was down recently. He thought that maybe it would help him to talk to her but being around her after everything feels wrong. He doesn't feel like he belongs here, he belongs with Louis.

"But I did." Harry finally says as he drags his eyes away from his phone. Astrid did look beautiful today. Her long hair was curled and a few stray pieces fell into her golden eyes. Her freckles were hidden behind the makeup she wore and she had a small smile on her face. Yeah, she looked beautiful but all he could think about is Louis.

"I did do something wrong." He continues while folding his hands together. "I should have never treated him that way and now I'm scared to talk to him because it took me so long to realize what I did wrong."

"Harry, you're not in the wrong." She tries to say again, not wanting Harry to change the way their relationship is right now. "Louis just needs to adjust to how close we are, we were together for awhile."

"That doesn't matter." Harry defends his boyfriend, his eyebrows furrowed. "He knows we're close and he would never try to stop us from talking. All he wants is to feel important to me, which he is. He's the most important person in my life."

"I'm not important to you?" She asks with a pout as she tilts her head. Harry frowns and blinks his eyes a few times, his heart being torn in two.

"No, I-I never said that."

"Harry, don't you miss me?" She questions while reaching her hand across to touch his. He allows it, staring down at her petite hand that he use to love engulfing in his much larger ones. There's so many emotions flooding through his head and he feels so overwhelmed.

"I do, yeah. You're my best friend, Holly. Of course I miss having you around."

"But don't you miss me as more than a friend." She pushes further, twisting her fingers between Harry's as she tries to pull at the small feelings for her he pushed away. He looks taken back by the question, distracted by her touch. "Don't you miss being able to kiss me whenever you wanted and all the cuddles we had. All the memories."

"The memories I miss, yes." He mumbles as he glances up at her, her eyes warm and gentle. He feels confused but the way she was looking at him was so familiar that he stayed calm.

"Don't you miss the way my body fit under yours?"

"What—Holly, what are you..." He cuts himself off and shakes his head while pulling his hand from hers. "I'm with Louis and I love him."

"Harry, baby please." She begs softly while she inches closer to Harry on her dorm bed, her hand touching his arm. "I know you can't forget the feelings we had for each other."

"Astrid no, what we had is in the past and I'm more focused on Louis and my future with him—"

He's cut off by soft lips roughly pressing against his. His eyes widen at the sudden attack, body unable to move from the sheer shock of her bold move. Her lips keep moving against his to try and evoke some kind of response. He squeezes his eyes shut and pushes her away, shaking his head rapidly. "Astrid no! What are you doing?! I'm with Louis."

He wipes his lips with the back of his hand while Astrid tries to catch her breath, her own eyes wide. "Harry, I'm sorry I just.. I couldn't help myself." She tries to defend herself. Harry shakes his head again and stands up, letting out a laugh of disbelief.

"Fuck, Louis was right and I—" Harry runs a hand through his hair before he starts to grab his coat and keys. "Stay the fuck away from me and my boyfriend, alright?" He says angrily before quickly leaving her dorm, ignoring her calls for him. He makes his way out of the building, his hands shaking as he walked.

Harry slipped into his car and locked his doors, letting out a slow breath. He felt his body tremble as he rested his head on the steering wheel, eyes clenched shut. He felt like a horrible person for making Louis feel as if his feelings were invalid. He had been right about Astrid the entire time and Harry was too dumb and too naive to see her true intentions. Now, he has to deal with the aftermath of this situation. How was he going to tell Louis about this?

 

***

 

Louis wipes his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt as he sniffles. He curls up even further under the covers, a constant ache in the middle of his chest. He feels so pathetic for crying over Harry like a child. He knows he shouldn't let something like this break him down so easily but he was in love with Harry. Harry was everything to him and maybe it was his mistake to even allow a person to be of that value to him. But it happened and his heart is in pieces.

It's been a week since they spoke or even seen each other. Louis has been avoiding the confrontation because he's afraid to hear what Harry has to say. He's dreading the day they'll officially have to talk because he's worried about losing his boyfriend even though it already felt like he did. With another sniffle, Louis buried his face into his pillow when he hears the door open.

A sigh resonated through the room followed by a pair of feet sliding along the wooden floor. "Louis, you can't hide in here all day. It's been a week, you need some sunlight." Liam scolds as he yanks the blanket away from Louis when the small male tries to hide from him. "I know you're hurt about what happened but you shouldn't lock yourself away over it, it's not healthy at all. We're all worried about you, including Harry."

"He isn't worried about me." Louis whines while pushing his hands into his eyes, seeing different shapes shoot through the blackness. "If he was, he would be here right now instead of god knows where." Liam sighs again and sits on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on top of Louis' head.

"I don't know why he isn't here right now, I can't give you a valid reason as to why he did what he did either. But what I do know is Harry is worried about you. Everyday he begs me to update him on how you've been, just so he can know if you're okay. The bags under his eyes are another indication of how worried he is. Harry looks like shit to be honest, I never thought I'd see him that way."

Louis is silent as Liam confesses this to him, biting down on his bottom lip. "I'm not saying he's not wrong for what he did because truthfully I'm on your side about the situation. I'm just saying I think you should try to talk to him because he's affected more than you think he is by what happened. And who knows, maybe it'll be what's best for the both of you."

When Liam didn't get any response to what he said, his shoulders sag in defeat. "Alright well, I just wanted to check up on you and bring you this before I left with Niall." Liam explains after a moment of silence, standing up to grab the bag of food, placing it on Louis' desk. "It's your favorite. Shrimp pasta with paprika and potatoes on the side." Liam says as he walked to the door.

Louis shot up in bed, his heart racing and his eyes wide. "But that's—" He cuts himself off as his throat closes up, eyes swelling with unshed tears. Liam gives him a knowing smile before he waves, closing the door behind him. Louis whimpers and covers his face, his stomach doing flips. It was his favorite food, Liam wasn't wrong, but the only other person who could know that in order to tell Liam was Harry because it was a dish that the younger male specially made for him one night.

That meant Harry really was worried and he was consistently checking up on him. That meant his boyfriend still cared for him. Louis sneezes as happy tears roll down his cheeks, pulling the food from the bag. It was in a cute blue container that had penguins on it and there was a little note at the top with a poorly drawn penguin wearing a royal Roman outfit with the caption, "Emperor penguin." Louis giggles through his tears, thumbing over the note as his stomach started to growl. He was so in love.

 

***

 

Louis let out a soft exhale as he stood in front of Harry's dorm, eyes trained on the numbers displayed. He's been standing out here for a few minutes now trying to decide whether or not he should just knock. After what he found out an hour ago, he's been going back and forth between his two options. Keep hiding to avoid Harry or finally confront him and get answers.

He didn't think it would be this hard to decide considering how fast he bolted over here after showering. But as soon as he saw the familiar door, a rush of emotions shot through him. He placed a hand on his stomach, feeling as though he was going to vomit. He had to do it, he came this far and he can get through it. With a deep breath, Louis lifts his hand to knock on the door.

Just as his knuckles were going to make with the wood of the door, it swung away from him as it opened. He stands there in shock at the sudden change in the atmosphere, his hand still in knocking position. Their eyes meet and Louis almost choked at seeing those green gems for the first time in a week. They were so beautiful even with confusion swirling within them. "Lou, baby what—" Harry stops himself from talking as he shakes his head, shocked at what he found behind the door.

Louis finally dropped his hand and bit down on his lip, allowing his heart beat to reduce back to its normal rate. "What are you doing here?" Harry finally asks, fingers twitching with the need to pull his petite boyfriend into his arms. "Not that I'm not happy to see you because I am, I was actually on my way to go see you and I didn't expect to see you standing outside my door which is why I'm so confused but I'm also happy don't get me wrong and I must be rambling—I'll shut up now."

Louis giggled as he watched Harry shake his head, loving how flustered the man was getting just by the sight of him. He stepped forward, his small hands reaching out to rest on Harry's broad chest. The younger male looked down at the soft hands touching him, his stomach twisting into knots. He lifts his gaze to meet the cerulean blue he loves so much and he feels the sudden urge to drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness. So that's exactly what he did.

He slid to his knees, wrapping his arms around Louis' body as he held the man close to him. He pressed his face into the soft pudge belonging to his boyfriends stomach which he truly adored and squeezes his eyes shut. "Baby I'm so sorry. I was such a fucking idiot and I never ever should have put her before you at all. There's a reason Astrid and I aren't together anymore and she made me lose sight of that by using our past friendship against me. You are so important and I'm such an idiot for making you feel otherwise. I don't know what else to say or do but I'll do whatever it takes to get you to forgive me, please. Please don't leave me, I love you so much."

Louis gulps as Harry finishes his speech, feeling the strong arms around him tighten. He could hear the sincerity in Harry's tone and the crack he heard as his boyfriend tried not to cry made his heart pull. He gently placed a hand on the back of Harry's head and softly whispers, "I'm not breaking up with you. I love you too fucking much to break up with you for something like that, not without fighting for you."

Harry pulls his head back in surprise, his lips parted as he stared up at his boyfriend. Louis was smiling, it was small and barely noticeable but he was smiling at him again. "We're not okay yet and we have so much to talk about before I can even think about moving any further in this relationship but I don't want you to think I'm going to break up with you because I'm not."

Louis tugs on Harry's hand and the man stands up a second later, a mixture of relief and happiness etched onto his face. "Oh thank you." Harry breathes as he embraces the smaller man, feeling Louis' hands find their way to his back. "Thank you, God."

He keeps thanking the Gods above for blessing him with someone like Louis as his tiny boyfriend reaches up to connect their lips in the much awaited kiss, eyes slipping shut. He was so lost in the feel of soft pink lips moving against his and the gentle press of Louis' body that he forgot about the dilemma involving Astrid, too focused on the way Louis' slid his fingers through his hair.


	25. 25

Harry slid his hand through Louis' hair from where he laid beside him, propped up on his side. His head was resting on his hand so he could gaze down at his boyfriend. Louis was sleeping peacefully, lips slightly parted and eyes fluttering. One of his hands were curled around Harry's shirt that he balled up in his fist during the night.

His other hand was pushed up beside his cheek, making it look plump and squished. Harry smiled fondly, leaning down to press a kiss to Louis' forehead. The small man grumbled and moved to turn over, Harry's large hands stopping him.

"Wake up, Lou." Harry murmured into his ear as he gently slid his hands under Louis' shirt to caress his sides. His boyfriend shivered at his touch, his mind slowly awakening from his slumber. A soft yawn slipped past his lips and his blue eyes blinked open. Green met blue and Harry couldn't help the smile that overcame his face. "Good morning, my love."

"It's too early for you to be sweet." Louis groans, shoving Harry's face away from him when the man leaned in for a kiss. "I don't want to wake up." He tries to roll over again but is stopped by Harry once more, big hands keeping him in place. "Ugh, baby." He whines as Harry starts kissing his neck lightly, fingertips pressed into supple skin.

"Enough, it's time for you to wake up. You have class in half an hour." Harry orders, dragging his lips up to Louis' jaw, eyelashes fluttering shut. Louis shifts once before rolling over on top of Harry, hiding his face into the muscular chest. His body curls up as Harry's arms lock around his waist, mouth finding its way to the top of Louis' head. "You still have to go to class, darling." Harry points out while twirling a few strands of hair around his finger.

"Will you at least walk me there?" Louis asks in a mumble into Harry's shirt, keeping his eyes closed. His boyfriend chuckles and rubs his nose into the crown of Louis' head.

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't?"

Louis grins and lifts his head so their gazes meet again, his tiny hands framing Harry's face. "I really missed you." Louis confesses softly, watching as Harry's eyes go soft with a mixture of guilt and love. "I know I can be difficult to deal with but I really do love you more than I ever loved anything before." He leans into Harry's hand when it touches his cheek, his breath catching in his throat. "I'm just so scared to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me, blue. I'm here to stay whether you like it or not. The way we got together wasn't exactly ideal and we have issues that we still have to work out but it happened and I love you. I don't want to leave you and I don't want you to ever leave me. God, I can't even stand guys looking at you and maybe that's bad but I don't care. No one in the world deserves someone as angelic as you. Not even me."

Louis smiles with teary eyes and red cheeks, heart feeling like it was trying to break out of his chest. "It's too early for this." He says with a sniffle which makes Harry chuckle. "Stop making me cry."

"As long as it's happy tears, it's okay." Harry whispers, placing little kisses along Louis' jawline. "Always want you to be happy, always smiling."

"Mm." Louis makes a small noise and pecks Harry's lips twice before he starts to push himself up. "Come on, I need to get ready for class. I showered last night so I'm just gonna throw some clothes on and we can get some hot chocolate on our way there."

Ten minutes later the couple was walking across campus to get to Louis' class, hand in hand with a cup of hot chocolate. It was cold outside, the sun hidden behind clouds in the grey sky. Winter was among them and Louis was anxiously waiting for the snow to come. "What do you want to do for Christmas?" Louis asks as he sips his drink, feeling Harry rub circles into his skin with his hand.

"Not sure yet, I'm still thinking because your birthday is just as important as Christmas, if not more."

"Don't worry about my birthday, as long as we're together then I'm okay."

Harry gives him a look before he tugs the man closer into his side. "If you don't think I'm going to go all out for your birthday then you're insane. I have an idea coming together, just give me some time."

"Well you only have two weeks left to plan."

"I got this, don't worry." Harry says confidently as he uses his ID to unlock the door, knowing Louis probably forgot his. He holds the door open for his boyfriend to walk through, following after him. They throw their empty cups away and continue to walk. "All you have to worry your pretty little head about is what you're gonna get the lads for Christmas."

"I was thinking of getting Liam the tickets to that art show he's been talking about that's in January."

"Hey, that was my plan." Harry whines, wrapping his arm around Louis' shoulder. A few people stared as they walked towards Louis' class but they were used to it. This school was small and a lot of people were well aware of how they got together. It annoyed Harry at some point but Louis always reminds him that they're not in the relationship so they don't matter.

"Find another idea buster, that one is taken." Louis tells him with a teasing smile as Harry bends to connect their lips in a quick kiss. "I'm still stuck on what to get Niall though and I have a vague idea of what I'm getting you."

"You're finally using your brain, how does it feel?"

"Shut up, you asshole!" Louis shoves Harry with a laugh as his boyfriend grins dumbly in response to the assault. They stop in front of Louis' class and Harry pulls him in by his hips.

"I'm sorry baby I was just kidding." Harry mumbles while he rubs their noses together, caressing his hip bones in circles. "I'll pick you up after your last class so we can talk." Louis nods slowly, closing his eyes to enjoy the feeling of Harry gently embracing him.

"Okay." He whispers, wrapping his fingers around Harry's wrists. "I love you."

"I love you more." Harry breathes, molding their lips in one last kiss. It only lasts a couple seconds but it leaves Louis wanting more. "I'll see you in a few hours." He finalizes, pulling away from Louis to allow his small boyfriend to go to class. He waves as he walks in, Harry returning with his own. With a sigh, Harry walks away as he tries to plan how he'll tell Louis about the kiss.

 

***

 

Harry's back was against the wall as he waited for Louis to come out of his class. He's been agonizing over the last few hours about the talk. He runs a hand down his face and lets out a sigh. A cough interrupted his internal monologue with himself and he flickers his gaze to the girl standing a few feet away from him.

"Sorry, I don't mean to bother you I just wanted to ask you something." She says with a small smile while tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Harry raises his eyebrows but nods anyway, crossing his arms. "You're Harry Styles right?"

"Yes I am."

"Is it true that you and Louis broke up?" She asks curiously making Harry's eyes widen at the unsuspecting question.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I just heard that you and Louis broke up. It's been going around and I just wanted to know for sure because I actually really like you guys together."

"What the fuck." Harry murmurs in confusion. "Are we some fucking reality show why is everybody—no, we didn't break up not that it's anyone's business." Harry finally replies, pushing off the wall when he sees Louis. "By the way, who are you hearing this from?"

"Uhm my friend overheard Jonathon talking about it with some guys. I'm sorry if this upset you, I was just curious."

"Yeah it's fine, thanks." He says dismissively, walking past her to approach his boyfriend. She turns and watches as Harry pulls Louis into an embrace, their lips meeting in a kiss. She smiles before looking away, walking down the hall.

"Hey, baby." Louis murmurs as he thumbs under Harry's eye, seeing his lip twitch. "You look stressed, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He sighs and places a light kiss to Louis' forehead. "Let's go, I'm tired and I want to take a nap before we talk."

"Okay." Louis agrees softly, following Harry as his boyfriend tugs him down the hall. The walk back to their dorms was a quick and quiet one. They just held hands and enjoyed the cold air. Even on the elevator ride Harry was silent which worried Louis.

"What's wrong?" He finally asks after building up enough courage, watching Harry step off the elevator, following after him. "You've been quiet and you look you're thinking. I saw that you were talking to that girl, what was it about?" Harry sighs and slides his arm around Louis' shoulders, pressing his lips to his temple.

"I'll tell you everything once we get inside, okay?" He assures him quietly, pushing his door open. They walk inside and Harry begins to take his jacket off when he hears Louis gasp softly. "What's wrong—what the fuck?" Harry drops his jacket to the ground, his eyes on Astrid who was laying on his bed with her phone in her hands. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asks angrily, stepping forward as she sits up on his bed.

Louis presses his fingers to his mouth as he notices the way Harry's attitude changes. He's never seen him show any anger towards her before. He flickers his gaze to Astrid, seeing her usual soft eyes were hard and filled with hatred. He was taken back by the new look and was even more surprised when he noticed it was directed at him. "Astrid I asked you a damn question! How did you even get in?" Harry asks which captures her attention. She looks back at him, her eyes filling with amusement as she stands.

"You should really learn how to lock your door, Hazza. Anybody could just walk right in." She tells him condescendingly, pushing her hair off her shoulder. He sighs in annoyance and shakes his head, pulling at his curls.

"You're fucking crazy."

"I just came to talk."

"Astrid this isn't your dorm." Louis piped in quietly, coming up from behind Harry which makes her whip her head to look at him. "It's not right to just pop up when you weren't invited."

"I don't think I was talking to you. Why are you even here?" She says angrily which makes Harry tense up, his arm going out in front of Louis. He moved his body to cover Louis, eyes hardening as he stared at her.

"Don't talk to my boyfriend that way. He's here because I want him here and I invited him here. He's welcome here whenever he'd like to come. You are not." Harry tells her through clenched teeth, seeing the way disbelief overcomes her features. Louis grips onto the back of Harry's shirt, peeking over his arm.

"What makes you think you can talk to me that way?"

"Astrid please leave." Louis speaks up again, pressing closer to Harry. "Harry doesn't want you here."

"I don't care and you don't get to tell me what to do, fucking home wrecker."

Louis' eyebrows shoot up and he lets go of Harry's shirt, pushing past his boyfriend. "Excuse me?" He says as he steps forward, his hand being grabbed by Harry but he pulls it away. "Would you like to say that again?" 

"I said you're a home wrecker. You destroyed me and Harry's relationship like a slut." She sneers while crossing her arms, her hip cocking out as she changes her stance. "You just couldn't back off, could you?"

Harry makes a move to say something but Louis holds his hand up, stopping him in his place. "I think you're mistaken sweetheart. Never did I do a fucking thing with Harry when you two were together. The first time we even kissed was when you two weren't together!" He exclaimed as he moved a step forward, Astrid standing her ground. "I did nothing but try to help your fucking relationship. I gave him advice, I told him to go after you, twice,"

"I was the one who kept pushing him towards you when he gravitated towards me so get your fucking facts straight. I even comforted you when you called me crying after the breakup and I told you to go after him! So please, explain to me how I possibly wrecked your pathetic relationship?" 

He moves closer as Astrid starts to crack, seeing Harry follow him in case anything happens. "I was nothing but a damn friend to Harry and to you at one point! I broke my own heart over and over because I didn't want you and Harry to break up if it made him unhappy. All I ever fucking wanted was Harry to be happy and I thought that meant being with you!" Louis' voice cracks as he tries to keep his emotions in tact, not wanting to cry in front of her.

"But Harry wanted me and you were the one that pushed him away and you were the one that helped him realize he wanted me. I had nothing to do with that because I was okay with just being his friend because I just wanted to be apart of his life. And then I was okay with him being your friend, I was okay with him being at your beck and call because I understood that at one point in his life, you were important to him,"

"I was okay with being second choice even though I was his boyfriend because I'm just that type of person. So don't call me names based on lies because I swear on everything I fucking love," He stops right in front of her, "Nothing you can say will bother me because I don't give a shit about your opinion anymore. I tried to be nice and I'm fucking done with it."

Astrid is silent, completely dumbfounded by the sudden outburst she never expected to hear from Louis. Harry himself was shocked at Louis' words, not knowing he was feeling this way inside. Finally, Astrid smirked as she tilted her head. "Nothing I can say will bother you? Not even the fact that me and Harry kissed?"

Harry's eyes widen and he feels his heart plummet as her smug eyes meet his. "Just yesterday actually, back at my dorms when he was visiting me." She continues before looking at her nails momentarily, "Are you saying that not even that would bother you?"

"You're lying." Louis says with a blank look on his face, his hands clenched into a fist. "Harry wouldn't kiss you. You two didn't kiss." He turned his body to the side, eyes meeting Harry's. "Right?"

Harry stands there with a dumb look on his face, unable to reply as he tried to desperately get his mind together. "Right Harry?" Louis says again, his face dropping when his boyfriend struggles to reply. "Oh my god, did you—you fucking kissed her?!"

"No!" Harry finally shouted, his green eyes wide as he stepped forward. "No blue, I didn't kiss her."

"So she's lying? You two didn't kiss yesterday."

Harry looks conflicted as he moves closer to his boyfriend but Louis backed away, his own eyes wide. "Blue, I promise you I didn't kiss her at all. I was at her dorm yesterday because I wanted to talk and she said she would give me some advice and then she started acting weird and tried to manipulate me and when I told her I was with you and that I loved you, she kissed me! But I didn't kiss back, I swear I didn't baby, I pushed her away and I left. I swear, it's the truth I promise." He rushes to explain as Astrid scoffs, arms crossing again.

Louis doesn't say anything, his expression unreadable. Harry stares back at him worriedly, silently begging him to believe what he was saying. "Blue.."

The smaller man finally moves and pushes past Harry, grabbing Harry's jacket from the floor. He slides it on quietly, head down. "Louis?" His boyfriend didn't respond to Harry's call and the ex-couple watched as he walked out the dorm, the door closing behind him.

"Guess he can't handle the truth."

Harry whips around and kicks the chair closest to him which causes the blonde to jump in surprise. "Get the fuck out! Why are you still here? I don't want you here anymore! You're fucking crazy and you're a psychopath! I can't believe I wasted my time and energy on you. I told you before and I'll tell you again, I love Louis!" Harry shouts, throwing his hands up in the air.

"You don't belong with him Harry!" She screams, picking up the candle he had on his desk before she tosses it at him. He ducks and it slams against the door, shattering the glass into pieces as the wax fell to the ground. "Why can't you see that!?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He exclaims with eyes filled with a mixture of anger and frustration. "I'm going to tell you this once again and if you don't fucking listen, you'll regret it." He hisses while moving closer to her, getting in her face as she cowers back.

"I don't want you. I don't want to be in a relationship with you and I don't even want to have a friendship with you. I want you to delete my number and get the fuck out of my dorm before I call security. If you contact me or Louis again, I will call the fucking cops and file for harassment. I'm with Louis and I will be with him for as long as he'll have me. And God forbid, if we ever break up, I'll still love him and I won't want to be with you. Stay the fuck away."

Harry ignores the tears running down her face and grabs another jacket from his closet. He slips it on and zips it up, grabbing his phone and his key. "If you're not gone by the time I come back, I'll drag you out if I have to. And I'll know if you take anything so don't even fucking think about it." He threatens before leaving, slamming the door behind him. He races down the hall in search of Louis, using the map on Snapchat to track him down.

Harry was out of breath when he got to the roof of their dorm building. The wind was harsh and he could feel his nose losing the ability to feel. His eyes narrowed in on Louis who was putting his phone into his pocket, head tilted towards the sky. "Blue?" He calls out softly, knowing Louis heard him by the way his head turned ever so slightly.

"Sit. Let's talk."


	26. 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this is the final chapter of Lavender Dreams. It has come to an end and I'm so sorry!! Maybe I'll pick it up again and add a couple more chapters for those readers that have been loyal from the start but until I decide on that for sure, this is the end. I know it's short but I wanted them to resolve their conflicts and leave on a good note. Please vote and comment! Squeal to "Love me until the end" will be out in the next few weeks so keep an eye out for the update.

Harry sat down next to Louis, anxiety rushing through his body at the emptiness in his boyfriend's eyes. It was cold out but Harry ignored the numbness in favor of gazing at the small man who held his heart. "Blue?" He whispers quietly, folding his hands together. "What are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't be there anymore." Louis confesses, tilting his head to look back up at the sky. "She was making me so angry that I didn't want to hit her so I left. I needed to think and get my thoughts together, so much happened within a span of ten minutes and I didn't want to do or say anything impulsively."

Harry bit down onto his lip and tightened his clasped hands, gulping quietly. "Have you—were you able to think long enough?" He asks softly, eyes searching the side profile of his boyfriend. "Do you need more time?"

"No, I already know what I want to do." He says truthfully, shifting his gaze to Harry's. He sees the nervous look on his face and tilts his head to the side. "Why didn't you tell me about the kiss directly after it happened?"

"I was going to tell you today. That's why I asked you to come to my dorm so we can talk, I planned on telling you. Yesterday it.. it just slipped my mind because I was so happy that you forgave me and I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you right away. It was dumb but I really did plan on telling you today, I didn't want to keep secrets from you."

Louis presses his lips together and examines Harry's facial expression, seeing nothing but honesty in those emerald gems. "Do you still love her?" He asks, his stomach flipping at the thought. "Do you still love Astrid?"

"Baby no, I don't." Harry sits up straighter and moves to reach his hand out to touch Louis' but the smaller man pulls back. He keeps his hand out, eyes remaining locked with Louis'. "The last few weeks have been so confusing for me emotionally because Astrid was manipulating my feelings and I was too dumb to realize it. But I always knew that I loved you, through everything it's been you. I don't love her anymore, not as a girlfriend and now not as a friend. I didn't see how toxic she was until you came into my life."

"It's my fault she's like that." Louis whispers as he stares into Harry's eyes. "I caused her to behave this way because I stole her boyfriend."

"No." Harry fiercely shakes his head and clenched his hands into fists. "You didn't do anything. Astrid and I were having issues way before I met you. We just weren't right for each other anymore but we both were holding on to each other because of the years we spent together. We were comfortable and we were scared to start over." Harry closes his eyes as he tries to calm down, exhaling softly.

"Astrid and I were never meant to work out and I see that now, baby. I was meant to be with you," Green eyes flicker open to look into cerulean blue, "My life began and ended the day I met you. You are it for me, that's the truth. I love you Louis and I was drawn to you since the beginning when I saw you fall into that stupid recycling bin. I knew even then that you were someone I was never going to get rid of and I welcome that thought with nothing but love,"

"No matter what people try to do or what obstacles get in the way of our relationship, I will always love you. I don't want anyone else but you in my life. So no, I don't love Astrid anymore. My heart and soul belongs to you as cliche as that sounds."

Louis sniffles and wipes the small tears that threaten to spill, closing his eyes to try and get his emotions together. "I'm so tired of people getting in between us. I just want to be with you and be happy. I don't care about the stupid kiss anymore, I knew you couldn't have wanted it because of the amount of disgust I saw as soon as you looked at her. It's been so hard, baby, I'm at my limit and I don't know—I just..."

He breaks off into a sob which makes Harry immediately wrap him into his arms. He cried unashamed into the chest of his boyfriend, feeling Harry tremble against him. "Oh blue." He breathed, his heart breaking into pieces at how vulnerable his boyfriend was right now. "I promise you nothing will get in between us. We're too strong and I love you too fucking much. We can do this baby, we can make this work. Just please... please don't give up on us."

Louis continues to cry as Harry begs him, their arms wrapped so tightly around one another that they melted as one unit. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy. I'll sell my arm and leg if it meant keeping you by my side. Please Louis, don't leave me. I need you."

Harry felt small hands slide into his hair before lips pressed against his. He responded back instantly, cupping the sides of Louis' face as he deepened the kiss. Louis pulled him closer despite the coldness surrounding him and poured his heart into the intimate gesture. The only warmth they got was from each other and that was all they needed.

Louis slowly pulls away from the kiss, panting as white smoke emitted from his mouth due to the cold. "I'm not leaving you, I told you before I never would. It took so long to make you mine and I'm not about to give you up, you're my boyfriend and it's staying like that. Fuck everyone else."

 

***

 

Louis giggles at the joke Harry whispered to him, pressing his face into his side. "It's not that funny." Louis teases him causing Harry to scoff, his fingers digging into Louis' side. The older male squeals and pushes away from his boyfriend, eyes shining in amusement.

"You're rude, did you know that?"

"You still love me."

"Maybe." Harry grins and he pushes his door open. He holds his arm out to stop Louis from walking forward, remembering the glass Astrid shattered. "Be careful babe, she threw a candle at me and there's glass everywhere. Let me clean this up first." Harry tells Louis who peeks over his arm to look at the shards of glass on the ground.

"She threw a candle at you? Why didn't you tell me about that?" Louis asks as Harry grabs the broom and dustpan, sweeping the mess into a small pile. "Did it hit you? Are you okay? Harry, you should have told me this, that's not right of—"

"Blue it's okay. I'm okay, don't worry. It didn't hit me because I ducked and I kicked her ass out. I don't want you to think about her anymore, she's done and over with." Harry assures him as he sweeps the glass into the dustpan, walking over to the trash can. He dumps it into the bin before putting the cleaning tools down. "Okay, you can come in now."

Louis carefully stepped inside and grabbed Harry's hand when it was held out to him. He allowed his boyfriend to lead him to the bed and they both sat on it, Harry leaning against the wall. Louis squeezed himself in between Harry's legs so they were back to chest. Large hands engulf small ones as Harry entwines their fingers together. It's silent for a few moments as both men try to take in the events of the day.

"Do you think we'll be okay?" Louis whispers softly, eyes watching the arm of the clock slowly move. He feels lips press to his temple and he feels the curl of a smile. Harry inhales slowly, basking in the lavender scent that Louis adapted from him. It was a lavender dream.

"Yes we will."


End file.
